#i have this revelation like twice a week lmao

[conqu3er]

me this whole week: you know what if i'm wrong and im just a butch woman, i could be a masc girl, what if i just fake being trans??

also me yesterday: almost crying at the club because i knew no one there saw me as a man

[amethystina]

I am intrigued by all the wips honestly. Anything you give us will be amazing, I have no doubt.

I will ask about Thou Shalt Not Covet tho because it is completed.

And I LOVE the How To Build a Family for Dummies title lmao. If you feel that it fits the story, you don't have to change it imo 😆

Also, I have to ask about your health. I hope you're doing well these days and that you're getting better. If not, don't push yourself too hard. Take care of yourself either way 💜

No pressure x'D

Jokes aside: thank you 💜 I'm very flattered that a lot of you have such faith in me and my writing.

Thou Shalt Not Covet was something I wrote in a feverish haze about a week ago because I was high-key panicking over not having been able to draw or write in what felt like forever and my brain just latched on to that story. Which wasn't at all what I had planned but, apparently, what I needed at the time, so I try not to hold it against myself.

It's basically a fic about Ga On being a raging ball of jealousy for 10k straight.

... or gay, I guess?

So the title is a bit misleading since there is actually A LOT of coveting going on. Coveting of Yo Han, to be more specific.

Ga On you little sinner you.

And it's 10k before editing, I should say. Because since I wrote it with a fever, I'll probably have to add a bit as I edit. Understandably, I tend to miss a lot of details when I'm too feverish. The fic is set just before Kim Choong Sik's first trial, so around episode 10. Which means I'm going to have to add a couple of warnings because Yo Han does not play fair. Whenever I write Yo Han as he was during the drama I'm reminded of how far he's come in Who Holds the Devil because dear LORD is he a manipulative asshole in this one x'D

So yeah. Jealous!Ga On and a Yo Han who doesn't pull his punches. A recipe for disaster, in other words. But they work it out eventually.

Here's a snippet from the beginning of the story (though unedited so there might be changes before it's posted)

---

Ga On had never understood how utterly devastating jealousy could be until he felt it — truly felt it — for the first time.

If asked, he would have said he wasn't a jealous person. He may have felt a burst of it once or twice as he and Soo Hyun had grown up — whenever another boy had shown an interest in her — but it had faded just as quickly as it had flared up. Perhaps because, deep down, Ga On had known that Soo Hyun only had eyes for him.

There was no need for him to feel jealous since the odds of him losing Soo Hyun to another were slim.

And, in hindsight, that must have lulled Ga On into a false sense of security, giving him the impression that he wasn't the jealous type. That he was calm and rational enough not to get upset, and knew how to handle the surge of emotions that might occur. Not realizing that what he'd felt at the time wasn't jealousy — or at least not the true depth of what he was actually capable of feeling.

Ga On had underestimated his own possessiveness.

And it wasn't until he met Kang Yo Han that Ga On knew true jealousy.

His first clue that he'd misjudged himself should have been his inexplicable desire to remain within Yo Han's orbit despite having numerous reasons to stay away. All Ga On wanted was to keep pushing closer, to keep proving himself, to keep asking for that intoxicating attention that crackled like electricity down his spine. He may not want to name what he was experiencing — instinctively shying away from a revelation he knew would change his life beyond what he was ready to deal with, finding comfort in denial — but he still craved the rush it gave him. He couldn't help wanting more.

His second clue should have been his own reaction as he'd watched Jung Sun Ah fuss with Yo Han's tie during their photo shoot.

The anger Ga On had felt in that moment — curling black and vicious inside his chest — had been an overreaction of the kind that should have given him pause. But, somehow, it hadn't. Somehow, Ga On hadn't even registered it as something out of the ordinary. Some part of him had even felt justified in his anger.

As if he had a right to feel that possessive over his chief.

But the rational part of Ga On knew that he didn't. He may be sleeping in Yo Han's house and helping him with his mission to upend the world as they knew it, but they were still nothing more than coworkers.

Yo Han had never promised him anything.

---

Expect jealousy, anger, and a bit of angst. Because Ga On has abandonment issues and it actually hits pretty hard when he starts suspecting that he's not so special to Yo Han after all...

As for How to Build a Family For Dummies, the title doesn't fit the vibe AT ALL which is why I'm calling it a working title for now. It just sounds way too cute and cheerful for the actual theme and content of the story x'D But more about that in another reply since I got a specific ask about it!

Aaaaand when it comes to my health, things are really bad, unfortunately. The kind of bad I haven't had since January, with daily exhaustion fevers and lack of focus. And it's probably not going to get better anytime soon since the main cause is related to something outside of my control that will most likely take months to fix. So it's really just a matter of me trying to hold on as long as I can and, if I'm lucky, I won't break completely before I reach the other side. I guess we'll see?

Anyhow! Thank you so much for the concern and the lovely ask. You take care of yourself too 💜

WIP Tag Game

[lonelychicago]

hi i’m super nosy and was wondering if you could explain the 1d guy drama happening rn

oh oh anon there's SO much tea!!!

okay so i think all of this started when liam did this podcast with logan paul i think??? one of the paul brothers anyway. same thing.

ANYWAY. on that podcast he was drinking and being all... kind of talking hinself up a lot?? like, he said simon made 1d around HIM. and like he was supposed to be the frontman, the "leader" of 1d. he said that simon made 1d FOR him, like bc of a promise he made liam when he forst auditioned for the x factor. (all of this is a lie, simon didn't even formed 1d. other judge did!!!)

and anyway. the podcast was.... rough to listen to. but at one moment he told this story about something that happened during the 1d days. he said there was a fight backstage and that one member pushed him against the wall, and he said. HE SAID AND I QUOTE— "if you don't remove those hands, there's a high likelihood you won't ever use them again." KAJSJSJSJJSJSJ. (me personally i think he's talking shit and don't believe he said that at all but whatever.)

i digress. the thing is that since then it's been something everyone wondered about. like WHICH 1d member pushed him against the wall. a lot of ppl said harry, louis or zayn. (niall was never am option lmao) and it's been like a really discussed topic I'd say(??

so TODAY maya henry (liam's ex gf who also wrote a book where she tells how abusive he was to her) posted a tik tok today saying like: it was zayn guys. it was ZAYN. here's the tik tok in question.

so then ofc all the liam stans went for her throat and like complained that she was riding liam's fame. (like, WHAT fame girl, he is the least revelant 1d boy but whatever.)

so maya was like, okay bet. and basically did a 10 min tik tok exposing liam. she told how he wñuld say things like "we can do whatever we want, because the fans will always have our back and defend us." and basically like, no one will believe YOU. and also she said how he's constantly harrassing her and sending her and her family and friends messages, even though he has a gf now.

ALSO ALSO. that he shit talked the boys but then showed up at their concerts. so far he's been to argentina TWICE. once in may 18th for louis' concert, where he posted himself singing where do broken hearts go and also was photographed with one of louis' hoodies. and i think it was this week??? or maybe last week that was niall's concert. AND LET ME TELL U IT WAS SO CRINGY AND HARD TO WATCH. like he posted on snaptchat that "he had things to talk with niall, nothing bad!!! but they had A LOT to talk about" and that's why he was going to argentina. and also like danced macarena at the VIP balcony before niall was out on stage AND ignored a bodyguard when he tried to stop liam, because he was calling so much attention to himself that the fans were pushing each other and crowding and it was genuinely becoming a safety issue.

here's the longer tik tok woth all of the tea!!

[riddle-me-ri]

I’m so sorry my dumbass forgot to send you a request the other day Mk

Could I request smut for Arkhamverse! Hatter? Like, he’s working with another rogue who he falls for and hangs out with her at home one day and things become intimate?

You don’t have to do this is to don’t wanna, so don’t feel pressured <3

A/N: asddfgg okay but no, I do the same thing all the time. So many messages, stories, and comments go unnoticed because I seen it and thought of the reply so surely that equates to me actually doing it?? Nope, nope not at all lmao. You’re all good! Hope you enjoy! My last Arkhamverse Jervis went waaayyy better than expected here’s hoping the same for this one.

Trigger Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content (make outs, biting, groping, handjobs, p.i.v. intercourse ), but also an obtuse amount of fluffiness in there (a lot of first times for Jervis happens here, lets gooo), Strong Language, slight mentions of criminal activity

Word Count: 2.9 k (uhh oops…so sorry rip)

Arkhamverse Jervis x F!Reader - Don’t Worry

You wouldn’t call yourself a natural rogue per se. You didn’t want to get your hands dirty unless absolutely necessary. Only ever really leaving your shop for more spare computer parts, every now and then relying on thievery alone to achieve it. 

However, no one showed their appreciation more for your services than Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter himself. You found yourself slightly put off when he first came in, it made sense for him to come in, but you’ve heard stories and rumors. You were always one to give everyone a chance. 

You couldn’t help but feel your heart swell whenever he smiled back at you or giggled his gratitude when you complimented his hat. He seemed genuinely excited to be acknowledged in even the slightest positive light. 

It didn’t surprise you that Jervis ultimately became a regular. Even if he had already come by that week twice, he somehow always found an excuse to come back. 

“Ah yes, to say it suffice, I forgot this for a certain device.” 

“No need to worry! I’ll just grab this and then I’ll scurry.” 

You remember the day you showed one of the ultimate acts of kindness Jervis had ever received. 

“Don’t worry, Jervis, you can take them.”

If it was one thing he could never get enough of, it’s the microchips you had. Which made sense in hindsight to his modus operandi. He came in for another pack of them, but you just handed them back to him. 

“What’s this you tell me? I shouldn’t get away with these for free!”

“Jervis, it’s fine. You need them more than I do, I know that for a fact! Consider it a gift, for being a loyal customer. A token of friendship.” 

“F-Friendship? Without…something in return for it? Some hardship to earn it?” 

Your heart dropped at that. His voice cracked at the revelation of someone genuinely being kind to him. 

You pushed through your sympathetic reverie and nodded. Even reaching up and straighten his hat, if it’d been anyone else touching his hat would have sent Jervis in a panic. Albeit, you were different as Jervis started to see. 

After that exchange, what once was weekly visits turned almost daily. Very rarely did he not come back even for a moment, even just to say hi or recite some cute little rhyme. 

Every now and then he’d come in and ramble about what’s on his mind. Those moments are when you learned how he was treated in Arkham, how he hated the way he was perceived and for how things transpired. You made it a point after that to show him genuine companionship, something he’s mentioned yearning for, for so long. 

It didn’t take long before you looked forward to his visits and had to admit how sad it made you when you didn’t see him for sometime. You knew it wasn’t because of anything you’ve said or done, he was a busy rogue after all, but that didn’t make you miss him any less. 

The next time he visited, you were going to finally ask him to spend some time with you outside your shop and outside of work. 

“Callooh callay! It’s so good to see you, dear Y/N, on such a glorious day!” 

“Hey stranger!” You found yourself giggling. “I thought I’d run you off somehow.”

“Oh, no. That’s not true, I always want to see you. I got busy you see, things compounded into twos and threes and fours and more. I…I couldn’t ignore.” 

“That’s okay, Jervis. I get it, trust me. But hey, do you have time to spend the day with me at my place? Just today, and you can get back to whatever it is you were working on?” You offered. 

Things went silent for a moment, and you feared you may have overstepped until you saw a Cheshire cat-like grin across Jervis’ face.

“That sounds truly delightful, my dear! I’d be honored to unload my troubles and see your humble abode.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~

You've never seen a more wholesome image than Jervis as he laid back straight on your sofa and he brought his feet up to dangle off the ground.

Jervis looked around your small apartment living room with such intensity. He felt like he was surrounded and embraced by you, he wanted that more than ever in a literal sense but was afraid to push you away, like he's done all those times before with others.

In hindsight you have no doubt it was the dumbest idea to let a high profile rogue into your home. However, you didn't see Jervis like that, well not anymore it would seem.

It only made sense to make some tea for the both of you. When the man wasn't talking about neurons, electricity, and mock turtles he also talked about his preferences for tea.

You noticed him looking around out of the corner of your eye. For a man constantly getting control over others minds, you don't think you could ever get a grip of his own mind. You wanted to at least try. 

"Are you comfortable, Jervis?" You chortled as he continued dangling his feet off your couch. You noticed his peculiar striped socks and it made you giggle. 

"Indeed." He grinned while looking around more. 

You weren't quite sure what he was looking at or for but he seemed to be enjoying himself nonetheless. 

"Can I inquire about what you've been working on? I can only hope that my…items were beneficial?" 

Jervis pondered for a moment. "Perhaps sometime soon I can show you then. The results of your assistance, my friend." This was the first time he had used the term deliberately back at you, testing the waters. 

You smiled when he called you his friend, alas there was a strange sinking feeling about it. You surely didn't want to be just that…did you? No, you found out, you didn't. 

Your lack of verbal response made Jervis unsure, he began looking down and twiddling his thumbs. 

“Everything okay, Jervis?”

“D-Do you…is it true, that you think I’m a friend to you?” 

Your eyebrows furrowed. “Of course, I do. I love being in your company. I look forward to you visiting my shop every time I open.” 

The way he sat up, his face almost glowing from happiness was way too cute for his own good. 

“Y-You truly mean that don’t you?” He whispered, almost questioning himself if he heard that right more so than asking you. 

“I do mean it, you…you mean a lot to me, Jervis. I-um..er..” It was obvious to yourself you were falling for the eccentric ex-milliner, but didn’t want to send the man into vapor lock. He still couldn’t get over the concept of being friends. 

“Yes?”

Shit. 

“I-um…well…if you don’t mind me saying so…at the risk of making things awkward…But if we’re being honest. I must admit I have grown extremely fond of you…”

“As I have of you, too.” He admitted with a small smile. 

You sighed in exasperation. A slow warmth grew under your cheeks, you didn’t need that right now. You just had to find the best way to say this. 

“I’m glad, because…I foresee us, well maybe possibly…being more than friends?” 

Silence hung in the air, as the rogue sat back and thought about this admission. Do you truly mean it? He may be out of touch with reality most days but he wasn’t entirely foolish, he understood where you were getting at. 

Jervis was trying his damnest not to bounce off the couch in extreme delight. “D-Do you…truly see…a future with you and me?” 

You nodded. “I really do, Jervis. If you want that…”

“My dear, my sweet darling, Y/N. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”    

You felt the sharpest intake of breath from Jervis as your hand came up to cup his cheek, your other hand soon following behind to his other cheek. You glanced again to see any discomfort in his face. 

He did seem terrified, but in a way that spoke of insecurity and uncertainty of the turnout. The way his eyes cut back and forth between your eyes and your lips was the confirmation you needed. 

The moment your lips touched his, Jervis was a goner. Your heart swelled at the smallest sound of his whimpers, as he clumsily but adamantly kissed you back. When you softly and slowly pulled your lips away, you swoon as you noticed Jervis still slightly leaning forwards with his eyes closed hoping the kiss would continue. 

You put your hand on his shoulder to stop him from falling into you. His eyes opened and warmth started tinting his cheeks pink. 

You couldn't resist, you leaned in and kissed him again. After a moment, you attempted to take things further. You slightly nibbled on his bottom lip, when he gasped at the sensation you gently intruded his mouth with your tongue. 

Despite his obvious inexperience, he took your gesture in stride, allowing you more access and actively twirling his tongue with yours. Jervis’ small soft moans caused your lips and mouth to tickle from the vibrations. You pulled away from him giggling sweetly.

“Jervis, was that your first kiss?” You asked, curiously. You never thought to ask until now, you just got caught up in the moment. 

Still rendered speechless from the kisses he nodded. Slowly, but surely coming to the realization himself that was indeed his first kiss. You ask him if he wants to take it further and you’re certain his face flushed a loud pink color, but he still manages somehow to nod, and expectantly waits your next move. 

You give him another reassuring kiss before you sit back on your haunches and began taking off your sweatshirt. To say Jervis’ eyes were locked onto your motions like a hawk is an understatement. He’s committed to keep every last bit of this to memory. Not just to recall later, but to reassure himself this is happening and not some other cruel illusion or dream. 

As you laid out bare as the day you were born, you couldn’t help but blush at the way Jervis was awing you. The fact that he was in awe of you, staring with eyes blown wide like you’re some ethereal being you’ve decided is worthy to be in your presence. 

You lean forward and gently pluck his hat from the top of his head. You whispered softly. “This is usually where you take off your clothes too.” 

You pecked his nose and that seemed to wake him from whatever trance you had him in. You tried so hard not to laugh as he giddily began shucking off his clothes. When he’s done removing his clothes, you’re quick to drag his face back to yours and kiss his lips again. 

You grab his wrists out of the corner of your eye and began leading them over to your body. Always wearing his gloves, you were excited to feel the warmth from his hands. The rough calluses and the small chips in his fingernails. You brought them to your chest and he slowly began rubbing and squeezing your breasts, experimentally. 

It was your turn to moan into his mouth as he gradually got used to kneading and groping your chest. Your hands go up and find purchase in his hair. You could tell he was still unsure, slightly holding back. 

You leaned your forehead onto his. You stared into his eyes, before reassuring him in a hushed tone, “don’t worry, Jervis. It’s okay. You can take me, have all of me.”

If Jervis’ eyes weren’t blown out before they are now. You always told him that, don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry. It’s what made him finally feel comfortable around you, made him believe your friendship was real, that what’s to come after this is real. 

Jervis nodded, as a first step to show initiative he brought his lips to yours in a searing kiss. Before you knew it, you were laying back on the couch cushion and Jervis was hovering over you. He pulled away, looking to gauge your reaction. When he saw your wide, loving smile, it made his heart skip a few beats. 

He took your gleeful reaction as an indicator to keep going, that he was doing it right. He let his instincts slowly take over. All the things he dreamt and fantasized about doing to your skin, your body, your mind. 

Jervis began kissing along your face, down your neck, and down to your shoulders. He kissed back up to the junction of your neck and shoulder. He licked and sucked on the skin there attentively. 

You kept on hand at the back of his head, cradling it, to keep him near you. Your other hand slithered down in between the two of you to a growing bulging member that lied just above your mound. You gently gripped the base, causing Jervis to gasp in your ear, but not say anything. He softly thrusted against your hand, silently asking you to continue. 

You slowly dragged your fist and the skin there, up and down his cock. Grip not too tight, pace not to fast. To let him get used to your touch. As he kept littering your neck, shoulders, and chest with kisses and suckles, you developed a decent pace with him. 

His whimpers, moans, and groans had no right to make you as wet as you were right then and there. You could also tell if you kept this up for much longer, he wouldn’t last. You gently slowed your ministrations and removed your hand from his member. 

Jervis was panting at this point, his normally pale complexion was evenly mixed with a heated flushed pink across his face and upper chest. Almost shaking and quaking and he hasn’t even been inside you yet.

“I-If you want to stop-”

“No! No..no please…” He glanced back into your eyes. He brought one of his hands up to cup your cheek. “I-I want you…this, please…”

You nodded reassuringly, giving him a kiss. You help him line himself up to your entrance, your other hand exposing your damp folds to the chilling air. 

When he fully sheaths himself inside of you, it’s an overwhelming feeling, slightly painful at the force but nothing excruciating. He was a decent thickness, but was longer than you anticipated. Practically hitting your cervix upon the first entry. 

You bit down hard on your lip, almost drawing blood. You could feel Jervis panting into your neck. You wait for him to get used to the pressure, to the sensation. You comb your hand through his hair and occasionally peck his head. 

You were about to suggest to switch positions, but he started moving before you could get the words out. He started out the slow and articulate, still somewhat unsure. Once he found your sweet spots that had you moaning his name, Jervis did everything he could to keep you chanting his name. 

“Ah-ah..Jer-Jervis..f-fuck…” 

His back broke out in tiny red lines along his back as you scratched him. Your skin in turn was being slightly pricked him his unevenly clipped nails, digging into your heated flesh. His teeth sinking and marking your neck and shoulders.

You thanked whatever higher power existed that he was a fast learner. It didn’t take long...Between the growing harbored feelings and missing him the last couple of weeks, you could feel the goosebumps begin bubbling up all over your body. 

Jervis’ shaky pants and trembling limbs, you could tell he was at his end too. One of your hands once again went down between your two bodies. Your index and middle finger began quickly making fast and short circles around your clit, as your walls began choking Jervis’ cock. 

You barely heard him groaning something that sounded like; “t-tight, tight, tight, tight..” into your ear, as he began rutting faster and deeper than before. 

“J-Jervis...Jervis, please…please…so close..so close..” You were almost in tears. The ball of nerves in the pit of your stomach bound so tight, just waiting to burst. 

Before you knew it, everything went white. You could make out Jervis’ whimpering gasps as his load flooded into you, causing the dam of your nerves to finally break free. Bolts of electricity ran through every nerve and vein in your body. You didn’t even recognize the pleasurable howls of ecstasy you let out to be your own. 

Much like yourself, Jervis was reluctant to move. It took a lot to get him to even pull out of you finally, again, you being just as reluctant. You were both shaky, breathless, tingling messes, but ultimately satisfied and delighted in the spectacle of your new found relationship. 

Jervis was slowly able to put on his boxers and the white dress shirt he wore underneath most of his layers. You grabbed your sweatshirt and underwear to change back into. 

He glanced up at the clock and let out a soft chortle. “It would appear I’ve overstayed my welcome.” 

You glanced at the clock, sure enough it was midnight. “You gonna run off like the White Rabbit?” You teased, grabbing a blanket to drape over the two of you as you snuggled into his side. 

Jervis let out one of his giddy chuckles that you grew to adore. “I wouldn’t dream of it, my dear. There’s no where else I’d rather be than be with you here.”

[allthingskakashi]

• Bells and Balls •

[ Kakashi x Reader ]

Tags : NSFW, Smut

Words : 4.8k

A/n: I wrote over 4k words just to get some dick.

Okay sbsbajash idk I'd been working on this for like a whole week and i couldn't concentrate on anything unless i finished this lmao so here it is whatever, I can't drag this around anymore. Uhhh hope you like it I'm still not very good at writing smut im sorry. This takes place in the post Anbu and pre team 7 era and Kakashi’s a bit of an asshole but you know you still love him. This is also a little similar to my other fic ‘Yearning’ but here you get the s e x and i’m sorry if the characterization is bad, i put more focus on making it hot i guess ok ill shut up now i hope you like it

You give the sheet of paper in your hand one final glance, and look around the room. There’s a long line behind you and you’re surrounded by your fellow jounins, each here to submit their respective lists.

You were extremely happy with the performance of your team and didn’t have to think twice before passing them. You had no doubt that they would make wonderful shinobi. You looked forward to teaching and guiding them, and judging by the chatter around you, most other jounins had passed their teams too.

The trouble, however, remains with Kakashi Hatake.

A few weeks ago, you had all been named squad leaders and put in charge of a squad, and today was your very first day with your assigned teams. As instructed, each of you conducted a test for the genin and depending upon whether they passed or failed, the final list would be announced.

No one till date had ever passed Kakashi Hatake's infamous test, and everyone was sure that no one would this year either. Most genin trembled in fear of him, being aware of his strict methods.

And as it happens, at this moment, this infamous man is right in front you, standing with his back hunched forward as he hands his paper in to the woman behind the desk.

You wait for your turn, your eyes fixating on the red symbol on his vest as you wonder, ruefully, about the fate of the students he must have failed this time.

You take a step forward as he turns around, having submitted his paper, and the line moves up behind you.

Kakashi peeks briefly at your paper as he passes, letting out an audible scoff at the list in your hand before walking on ahead, hands tucked in his pockets.

You’re momentarily confused by this sudden act, but something is already starting to boil up inside you. You aren’t exactly known for being placid, nor for sitting by and allowing people to give you crap. Your eyebrows furrow as you hastily thrust your sheet onto the desk, before making your way to follow after him.

“Do you have a problem?” you call to his back as a few heads turn towards you.

He stops, taking his time turning back to look at you, half lidded eyes looking as indifferent as always.

His demeanour pushes you further to the edge and you take a few steps closer, craning your neck to meet his eyes, waiting for an answer.

“Well?”

He peers down at you unfazed, completely oblivious to the audience around you, as if they are not even there.

“You’re too soft”, he shrugs. “You don’t know how the shinobi world works” he says bluntly, piercing you with his unwavering gaze.

You glare back at him, your mouth twitching with the sled of retorts forming at the back of your tongue.

“Who gave you the right to—"

But he’s already turning away from you, your eyes meeting with the red symbol of his vest once again.

“Hey don’t you fucking walk away from me!” you yell, going forward to stop him, but he saunters on ahead without turning back; his scent lingering in the air as you stand there, watching his figure disappear slowly along the hallway, your fury seething inside you.

Who the fuck does he think he is?

--------------------------------------------------

 “Thank you! This is just what I needed.” you chime, digging into the hot bowl of ramen in front of you, your mouth salivating just at the look of it.

You take a big mouthful, revelling in the immediate burst of flavours on your tongue.

“Mmmm.” You moan, “You’ve outdone yourself, Ayame!”

The young girl smiles at you in delight, proceeding to serve you another helping.

You take another blissful bite, closing your eyes to relish the moment.

The streets are quiet around you except for the faint chirp of crickets, as is expected at this hour of the night. It must be past midnight by now, you’re not exactly sure.

You had been tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. For some reason, the encounter with Kakashi from earlier today had you feeling bitter and edgy. You hated that he was in your head, you didn’t understand why. It wasn’t like you to be this bothered by some mindless comments from someone. You’d had altercations before, worse ones, but they were never enough to steal away your night’s sleep.

And yet, this time…

You had to do something to take the edge off, ideally punch him in the face, but since that was not the plausible choice, you settled for the next best thing. Going for a run and treating yourself to your favourite comfort food later.  

So here you are now, out at night all by yourself. The Ichiraku shop was still open, bless the lords.

You slurp some of the soup from the bowl and let out a loud smack of your lips.

You can feel your spirits lifting, and you’re glad for it. He wasn’t in your head after all, you were just having a bad day, that’s all.

You shift your focus back to the bowl in front of you, moaning and slurping as you go.

“Whoa there, Get a room.”

The sudden interruption of the familiar voice makes you stop cold.

Are you fucking kidding me?

You look up from your bowl, turning your head around to see none other than Kakashi Hatake, standing smug in all his glory.

The strange pang of bitterness is back in the depths of your stomach and you resist the urge to punch that smug look off his face.

“Ah, if it isn’t Kakashi Hatake, the all-knowing wisenheimer.” you say, your tone snide. “Say, don’t you have somewhere else to be? Some genin to fail?”

He comes around to take a seat on the stool beside you, a smirk evident through his mask, almost as if he’s enjoying this.

“I’ve already failed them” he smiles sweetly at you. “Worked up quite an appetite too.” He says, looking away from you to place his order.

You notice as Ayame notes his order down, the distinct shade of pink that tinges her cheeks as does, before turning away and disappearing into the supplies room at the back of the shop.

Ugh. What is with this guy? Why is it so….

You don’t realise you’re staring at him until he looks back at you, raising a questioning eyebrow. You supress your startlement at being caught, pretending as if you’d meant to be glaring at him.

“What the hell are you even doing out here so late?” you spurt, trying to sound irritated but it comes out sounding almost…concerned?

Thankfully, he doesn’t notice. “I could ask you the same.”

You look away, unwilling to answer. You were out here to get him out of your head, and now here you are, sitting beside him in a ramen shop while the entire village sleeps.

It almost feels like you’re the only two people in the world. The feeling makes something churn inside your stomach.

You dab your mouth with your napkin, before swivelling on the stool to face him. You look at him intently, studying his features. He stares back at you, as if waiting for you to say something.

“Why?” you ask, catching him off guard with it.

“Why what?”

“Why does no one pass your test? What’s so difficult about it?” you ask, gaze fixated on him. You expect him to look uncomfortable but he just shrugs.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m curious” you reply truthfully, watching him smirk at your answer.  

You hate it when he smirks, how his face looks when he’s being cocky.

Ugh.

He swivels in his chair now, turning his body towards you. “Is that so?”, he says through the smirk, resting his elbow on the counter and leaning in.

You don’t know why, but something about his tone and the way he leans in makes it difficult for you to breathe all of a sudden.

But you’re not one to be fazed.

“Yes” you reply, refusing to let yourself crumple under his gaze. Your voice comes out sounding hoarse, and you clear your throat.

He smirks wider at your reply and stretches the next words out.

“If you’re so curious…Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

Your heart thuds like clapper clanging against a bell. You resist the urge to gulp.

Was it this hot when I left the house?

You clear your throat again. “I don’t have the time to take part in your stupid games”

The smirk is adamant on his lips, his gaze unnerving.

He breathes, “Do you not have the time…or do you not have the balls?”

His tone is challenging. Or inviting. Or both, you’re not really sure, you’re not thinking straight anymore.

Your jacket is too hot against your skin, you writhe beneath the thick material.

Sliding off the stool, you walk slowly towards him, erasing the space in between you bit by bit with each step, until your bodies are a few inches away from touching. Your eyes bore into each other’s as if in silent battle. It’s your turn to smirk now.

“Training Grounds in 20 mins” you whisper. Despite the hitch in your breath, your voice is clear. “Don’t be late.”

You walk past him without breaking your gaze, brushing your shoulder against his arm as you walk by, perhaps a little harder than necessary, leaving Kakashi to stare after you.

--------------------------------------------------

You sit on the damp grass with your back against a tree, waiting. Your jacket lies in a puddle beside you.

You count the weapons in your bag, you hadn’t exactly come out prepared for a fight tonight. Two kunai knives, that’s all.

Would that be enough to take down the copy ninja? You hope so. There’s no way you’re letting him win. It’s time someone taught him a lesson and you would love to be that someone. The nerve of him…to actually challenge you.

He really needs to get a life. But then, here you are too…

Why am I here? What am I even doing?

You close your eyes and tilt your head back against the hard bark, your eyebrows furrowing the way they always do when you’re deep in thought.

Back at the shop… the way he spoke…the look in his eyes— God, Stop. Stop it.

Who the fuck cares about the look in his eyes?

Not me.

It’s okay. I’m good.

We’re here to teach this asshole a lesson. An asshole, that’s what he is. Insufferable and stupid and smug and ridiculously ho— horrible. Ridiculously horrible.

You take a deep breath, opening your eyes and standing up so fast that it makes your head dizzy for a brief second. You start walking around, jerking your arms and legs, stretching your neck, even slapping yourself a few times on the face to make yourself focus.

Yes, I need to focus. The lack of sleep is getting to me.

You crouch down to tighten your shoelaces, before getting up and starting some stretching exercises. Gotta loosen the muscles, make sure you have full flexibility. After all, taking on Kakashi Hatake all by yourself is probably not going to be a piece of cake.

You look down to check your attire: running shorts and a tank top, not fully ideal but it’ll do.

You’re bent over, in the midst of doing rotating toe touches when your eyes fall upon a silhouette far ahead, nearing closer and closer. You pause, standing up straight with your hands on your hips as the figure walks slowly towards you, a faint jingling noise ringing through the air, as Kakashi finally comes near enough for you to make out his face in the dim light.

“Late as always” you say, crossing your arms over your chest.

Kakashi stands a few feet away from you, holding something in one hand, other hand inside his pocket. He’s not wearing his jacket anymore either, you observe.

“Sorry, had to go get this” he says, holding up what looks like two small bells with strings attached.

You squint at it, coming closer to get a better look. “What the hell is that?”

“Bells”, he smiles. “That’s the test. You have to get these bells from me. You can use any attack you want but… since you’re not a genin, I’ll raise the stakes a little higher for you. You cannot use ninjutsu or genjustu. It has to be purely physical attacks. You have till dawn.”

This little fucker. He knows taijutsu is not my strong point.

But fine. If that’s how he wants to play this, so be it. I’m taking him down one way or another.

“Dawn?” you chuckle, fixing him with your gaze. “I don’t need till dawn” you sneer, coming forward with a kick aimed to his head. He blocks it just as you’re about to make contact, grasping your ankle in his strong hold.

“I didn’t say start yet” he says through a smirk, letting go of your foot.

You take a few steps backwards, glowering at him as he ties the bells to a loop on his trousers. They hang over his thighs with a jingle, silver metal glimmering in the moonlight.

He looks back up at you, eyes twinkling with an unusual sparkle.

There’s that look again…

“Go” he commands, his body tensing up into a defensive stance immediately, ready for you.

You fix your gaze on the shiny metal of your goal and hurl yourself forward, your arms meeting each other’s in blows and defences. You throw a few kicks to his stomach, making him tumble but not enough to knock him out.

You shift your stance, before directing another punch to his face; he deflects it, sniggering.

Okay okay okay, I’m not focusing. I need to focus.

You take a deep breath.

Kakashi stands waiting, his features emanating pure amusement.

You feel a restlessness brewing within you, a strange energy buzzing through your veins. You’d been itching to punch him in the face and now’s your chance.

You watch him, mentally calculating all your options. His silver hair shines like moonbeams in the dark.

FOCUS.

Drawing a kunai from your bag, you lunge forward, distracting him with a kick to the head as your kunai slashes through the air, just about to cut across the strings when— your hand is caught in his grasp, a ‘slap!’ cutting through the air as his palm clasps around your wrist.

He bores into you, your wrist held firmly in his hand as he turns you around swiftly, gripping both your wrists at the back.

You feel the muscles of his chest against your body as he comes closer, the metal bells hanging over his leg brushing against your fingertips behind you.

You wriggle your hands, trying to break free but it’s in vain. His grip is firm, slender fingers digging into your skin as he leans into your ears, his warm breath tickling your skin.

“Not so fast” he whispers, his lips almost brushing the top of your ears.

The words send a shudder through your spine. You feel the black sky closing in on you, there’s a hum springing through your veins.

He loosens his grip as your hands fall, the kunai held limply in your hand. You turn around, your heart skipping a beat at how close he is to you. You feel your resolve weakening.

No.

No.

Stop.

Your hand flies to the collar of his shirt, the other hand holding the kunai to his throat as you push him backwards with your body, your eyes blazing into his.  

Keeping the kunai at his throat, you lower your other hand slowly, brushing it down his chest, his muscles taut under your hand. You trail your hand down along the line of his sternum, down the firmness of his stomach and further down, your fingers lightly caressing the bulge of his trousers before they almost make contact with the bells alongside, right there, just a flick away—

so close—

Before your wrist is caught in a sudden, fast clutch again.

His grip is much stronger this time, unyielding, hungry. Your bones ache beneath his hold.  

You watch something ignite in his eyes as his shoulders rise and fall in rhythm to your heaves. You suddenly realise how out of breath you are.

In the flash of a moment, Kakashi grips your kunai holding hand, holding it away from his throat as he pushes you, the weight of his body pressing onto yours as your feet scrape along the ground, stumbling backwards till your back slams against a tree, the force making your body jolt. The kunai slips from your hand.

His arms pin you defenceless against the tree, his gaze holding you hostage, burning through your skin.

The touch of his skin against yours feels alien. When was the last time you felt the warmth of someone’s skin? You cannot recall.

He’s so close to you, you cannot see anything beyond him.

In the dark, under the moonlight, the edges of his face look softened.

A wind passes by, the sound of rustling leaves filling through the silence. A volcano erupts within you.

Now.

You gulp. Up this close, you can make out the outline of his mouth.

Now.

Your lips press into Kakashi’s in a desperate lurch, your neck straining to meet him as far as his grip on you allows. Your heart explodes like firecrackers inside your chest as your tongue pushes against the cloth of his mask, demanding to be let in.

You feel his grip loosen around your wrists as the mask is off and he reciprocates, his lips on yours, his hand gripping your chin up as his tongue moves in fervent swirls inside your mouth.

A thousand questions swarm inside your head, buzzing but you’re not being controlled by your head anymore. You can feel the thud of his chest against your own.

He trails his hand down to your throat, holding you in place, other hand exploring every edge and curve of your body before it snakes down the waistband of your shorts, down the elastic of your underwear.

You gasp, arching your back as you feel the touch of his long fingers down there, moaning helplessly into his mouth as he rubs along your wet entrance in rapid strokes.

Your head is a dizzy mess of jumbled emotions as yearning overpowers your senses, your previous resolve weakening into a mushy puddle with every stroke and thrum of his fingers inside you.

He pulls away from your mouth to leave sloppy kisses down your neck, his tongue painting patterns along your skin as you catch a glimpse of his face and you see it— his face, glowing under the moonlight. And you realise.

He’s…beautiful.

An overwhelming ache breaks through your senses, creating a frenzied whirlwind of passion and agony in your mind. Your detestation for him crumbles into pieces underneath the weight of your desire, as you realise…

You don’t hate him.

You never did.

Not even close.

Not even a little bit.

Not even at all.

You pull his face up to meet your lips again, planting urgent kisses on his mouth as your hands tease the hem of his shirt. His fingers slip out of you and you can feel the wetness of your panties, soaked through with arousal.

“Kakashi…” you whisper in pleasure as he looms over you, your foreheads touching, out of breath and heaving with exhilaration. His eyes burn with the same passion that you feel inside.

“We can’t…shouldn’t…here…people...” you mutter in struggled breaths, as he plants another kiss to your lips, the sparks from it fogging your mind

“Since when do you care about people?” he whispers against your ear, his raspy voice enough to strip you off of all your remaining sense and judgement.

You pull his shirt over his head in one swift motion, throwing it to the ground beside as he follows, taking off your shirt and then unhooking your bra, tossing both away as his hands reach for you in hungry clutches.

His hands caress your breasts, pressing them and pulling on your hardened nipples, his mouth following soon after. His lips lock around them, sucking hard as you bury your face into his broad shoulders, biting lightly to keep yourself from screaming.

You sink your fingers into his hair, tugging softly as his mouth moves in a wet trail further down your body, strands of his hair tickling your stomach as he goes, his hands tugging your panties, sliding them down the curves of your hips.

Your heart thuds in your ears as Kakashi sits crouching in front of you, parting your legs. He looks up at you, as if asking for your permission, and you give it to him by pulling the back of his head closer between your legs.

He puts your right leg over his shoulder, spreading you for him, his other hand clutching the back of your left thigh as his mouth teases you down there.

The tip of his tongue flicks at your entrance, before it finds your weakest spot, and you feel your body shuddering, barely able to keep your balance.

You tug at his hair harder as his tongue moves skilfully inside you, fingers rubbing your swollen clit simultaneously. You feel every nerve ending in your body come alive as you moan out his name “K-Kakashi…” through trembling lips.

Your insides shudder and a deep moan forms at the back of your throat, threatening to escape as Kakashi puts his hand over your mouth, before pulling you down on top of him with a sudden tug.  

You come down with a thud on his thighs, your body jolting with the force as you watch him in front of you, the copy ninja… bare bodied and heaving in front of your eyes.

Who would have thought…

You straddle him, admiring his unclad torso, before pushing his shoulders down with your hands, making him lie back on the grass as you stoop over him. His eyes are fixated on you, pure pleasure making itself known on his face.

He really is beautiful.

You bend forward, your mouth exploring the smoothness of the skin on his chest, as a strange cold feeling down there distracts you.

You look down, squinting in the dark to find yourself sitting on two glimmering metal balls placed over his thigh.

The bells.

A thrill runs through your nerves as you smirk, glancing up at him.

He’s noticed it too.

His eyes return the same sparkle of mischief as yours as he lies still, waiting.

You press your hands down on his chest, locking your gaze with his as you position yourself over the bells, tilting your head back as you move back and forth over them.

The cold metal of the bells rubs against you, sending tremors through your entire body.

Your gaze at Kakashi again, watching him squirm at the sight of you, his hands twitching to feel your skin.

You keep your eyes on him as you slide down slightly on his thigh, tugging his trousers down as you go. Your hands find the base of his cock as you allow yourself to admire his throbbing length.

He leans his head back on the grass and you feel him getting harder in your hands.

Forming your hand into a fist around him, you move it up and down along his shaft in slow steady strokes, leaning down to bring your mouth closer to his tip, before swirling your tongue in circles around his skin.

His hips tremble as he clutches onto the grass, writhing.

Your lips clasp around his cock, mouth slurping up and down his length, taking your time sliding down to the base and back up, your hands following suit.

You tease him, switching between the tip of your tongue and your whole mouth, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through him.

He quivers and you sit back up, bending forward over his face and pressing your lips on his. A groan from his mouth erupts inside yours as he clutches your hips.

His hands guide your hips back and forth over his length, your lips trembling as he slips into you, his cock finally inside you, pushing into you, filling you as deep as you can be filled.

A new rush of pleasure burns through your senses, your insides stretching as you move your hips around him, back and forth and then in circles.

“A-a-ah...mm…yeah…”, your muffled moans cut through the depths of the forest in the silence of the night.

Kakashi breathes your name, the eruption of your name from his lips enough to send you to a frenzy, filling your heart with drunken fervour.

You moan his name back in reply, hopping up and down on him as his arm snakes behind your waist and he flips you over in a sudden, swift movement, the weight of his body falling over you now.

You arch your back, pushing your hips up to meet his, unwilling to break away even for a second.

You want him so, so bad.

The pointy peaks of grass underneath poke your skin, your nails digging into his back as he nibbles on your neck, thrusting deep, deep into you.

You feel the familiar shudder from earlier again, your mind getting clouded with waves of pleasure coursing through you. Kakashi’s grunts quaver in your ear as you feel his hips jerk in tune to yours.

There’s a tantalizing jolt of ecstasy through your body as you scream out, your quivering voice matching his grunts as you both put a hand over the other’s mouth, your muffled moans melting into each other’s skin. He quivers inside you for a final time before you feel him slipping out of you, as hot wet cum trickles along the insides of your thighs, dripping into the dewy grass beneath.

Droplets of sweat from his hair drips down on you, tasting salty in your mouth. You heave together in exhaustion as he plops down on you, before rolling to the side.

You lie on your back panting, your entire body damp with sweat.

Languor threatens to take over you as you struggle to keep your eyes open, looking up into the night sky.

You see a firefly glowing above your head. You lift a lazy hand to reach it, but it flies away far above, becoming one with the twinkling stars in the sky.

Soft sounds of Kakashi’s breath echo beside you, his foot still touching yours lightly as the both of you lie heaving under the stars.

He turns his head to look at you and you can feel his eyes on you as you try, with all the fibres in your body, to not look back at him.

You know you won’t be able to hold yourself together any longer if you do.

He extends a hand towards you. “That was…”

“Sshhh… Shut up” you say in a slumberous whisper, moving closer into his arm, putting your own around him, your head buried into chest as you feel your eyes getting heavy…not able to stay awake anymore. You feel Kakashi envelope you in his arms, the warmth from his skin against the cold air lulling you to sleep, your mind becoming foggy as you close your eyes, slowly drifting off somewhere far, far away…

--------------------------------------------------

Your eyes open to the chirping of birds perched on the branches above, rays of morning light casting a rosy glow in the horizon.

You watch the half light in the distance, rubbing your eyes, smiling to yourself.

The night had taken with it the black clouds of denial fogging your mind, your heart is as clear as day now.

You turn your head just in time to see Kakashi opening his eyes, his eyes puffy, imprints of grass marking his soft cheek.

You smile at him as he looks at you, lips curled into a sleepy smile. “Good morning” he yawns, tapping over his mouth with his palm.

“I won.”

“Hmm?” he asks groggily, eyes still adjusting to the light.

You hold up the two small bells in front of him, they jingle over his face.

He chuckles. “I don’t think so. It’s past dawn”

“I took them off before. I won.”

He laughs again, his face lighting up in a way you’d never seen before. He looks even more beautiful in the daylight.

“In all fairness y/n, there are no losers here.”

You laugh along with him now, reaching across and smoothening the imprints on his cheek, keeping your hand there, cupping his cheek.

“So, I passed?” you ask, looking at him, inching closer.

He looks back at you, with the same look from earlier in his eyes.

But you’re not turning yourself blind to it anymore.

“Top of the class” he laughs, pulling you closer, nuzzling your nose with his before pressing his lips into yours.

Notes :-

Did I quote 10 Things I Hate About You on a Kakashi Smut?

Yes, yes i did.

[vintage-writes]

What Happened? (Shigaraki x Reader)

Request:  “ Hey I'm a really new follower but I like your writing a lot♥️ anywho- since requests are open- I just went through a messy breakup litteraly 3 hours ago and I just want comfort lmao idrc which character (idk who to choose I'm sorry) but shigaraki is probably my fav MHA character if that helps”

Pairing: Tomura Shigaraki x Reader

Summary: After ending your long term relationship you return back to headquarters feeling terrible. You probably look worse. All you want to do os avoid everyone and hide away but Shigaraki sees you and offers a comforting Shoulder to cry on.

Warnings: None, Fluff fic. Soft!Shigaraki

A/N: I hope this Fic came out the way you wanted it to and that you’re feeling better.

               _______________________________________________

Why?

That was the only thought turning in your head the whole way back to Base.

Why did it end?

Why did it go Wrong?

Why did it have to hurt?

Nausea crawled up your throat and made you dizzy. Head spinning you reached forward to open the door. Inside the base, it was empty. Not a single soul was milling around. Perfect. You didn’t need Dabi’s jokes or Toga’s pity. And as appreciated as it would probably be, you didn’t want Twice’s awkward attempts to make you feel better either. You want to crawl up into a ball. You want to hide away for a week. Drown in your sorrow and mourn for the dead relationship.

You want to disappear. Possibly forever. Your heart clenches at the idea. You will not see them anymore and if you do, what kind of terrible encounter would it lead to?

The sound of creaking hinges draws your attention and you pause. You’re standing before your door, ready to open it and bury yourself in blankets and tissues. Your eyes are still red from crying. You sniffle.

“Y/N?”

His rough voice echoes down the hall. A fool. You feel like a damned fool. As a new recruit, the last thing you want is Shigaraki to see you in such a sorry state but his words send a shiver through you. All he uttered was your name, but it rolled off his tongue delicately.

Your heart squeezes as you turn around. Shigaraki stands at the end of the hallway. His gaze seemed to study you from head to toe. His eyes wandering over your arms and legs as if he’s looking for something. As if inspecting for some kind of clue as to why you are crying. He’s dressed in a surprisingly casual manner. Jeans and an old T-shirt, no hands in sight. His pale blue hair hangs loose around his face, strands of hair fall across his eyes. His hair looks soft, you want to wrap your fingers around it and find out just how soft.

“What happened?” he asks. His normally cool manner is disturbed. His eyes narrow and fists clench at his sides. The bite in his voice surprises you.

You don’t know if you should tell him. The situation feels private and he’s your boss. Your personal affairs shouldn’t concern him. Does he even care or is he simply being polite?

But you have no one to talk to. The pain swelling in your chest needed some form of release and so you couldn’t help but want to let the dam burst. Tell him your sorrows and woes. A small part of your mind urged you to do it, urged you to trust him. So, you do.

You tell him everything. You let out all your worries and regrets. You tell him about your failed relationship. The highs. The Lows. Eventually you tell him why you broke up. You tell him the details that you originally weren’t supposed to. You even tell him how insecure you feel about it. Your sudden doubt about whether or not the relationship should’ve ended has been clawing at you since you saw them turn tail and leave.

Shigaraki listens in quiet contemplation. He moves to lean on the wall but his eyes do not stray from your figure. In this hallway you feel like an idiot. Snot and Tears running down your face You’re currently dumping all your baggage on the man you’ve known for, what? Three weeks?

But the ball’s rolling and everything is spilling out in a mess. A jumbled mass of words broken up by your occasional hiccups and wailings. A small part of you tells you to stop, to remember that this is your boss and he doesn’t give a shit. The larger part, the one that needs to vent, doesn’t give a shit either so you don’t stop. Your frustration pour out like a raging river until it eventually trickles to a stream.

When you’re done, there is nothing but silence. It stretches out between the two of you. The awkwardness of the situation finally hitting you. He feels miles away and now you feel silly. Shame burns on your cheeks as you realize what you’ve done.

“Are you done now?” Shigraki asks.

You nod. He doesn’t hesitate before righting himself and striding towards you. You Panic but don’t move, you have no idea what he’s thinking but the idea of being kicked out of the league scares you. The invasive thought slams into you and you wish you could eat your words and act as if nothing happened. Your eyes remain attached to his. He moves closer and you attempt to stutter out an apology but the words get stuck in your throat. You feel stupid. Ashamed even.

However, Shigaraki does something unexpected. His right arm grips onto your wrist and he tugs you towards him. Before you can even register what’s happening, he’s engulfed you. His soft warmth envelops you and your tears surge forward again. You sniffle against him and try to push away.

“Your shirt-”, you attempt to warm him. Shigaraki only laughs before dragging you back into the safety of his arms. You place your head on his chest as he rests his chin on your head. Your sobs subside as he gently strokes your hair. His fingers comb through it, every once in a while he twirls a lock of your hair through his fingers. Despite the oddity of the situation you close your eyes. You want to savour this moment of comfort.

“Don’t worry about my shirt.”, his voice is surprisingly smooth. Like honey.

You don’t want to move and he doesn’t push you away. It appears that he will not move until you do. You breathe in his warm scent, as you begin to take slow calming breaths. Surprisingly he smells strongly of deodorant but it isn’t unpleasant. You revel in the warmth, feeling safe. Eventually you pull away slightly and he reluctantly lets you move away. Both Hands remain on your waist, keeping you close to him. His chest only a breath away and you’re tempted to dive back into the warmth all over again.

His warm eyes stare into your soul. The red accompanied by shades of bronze and gold. His eyes are glinting like precious jewels.

“Thank You”, you say.

He smiles and raises his gloved fingers to push your hair to the side. His hand does not move away though, instead he allows it to rest on your cheek.

“Whatever happens, I am here for you” he says, “It may not feel better today or tomorrow, but you are strong enough to recover from this. You’re part of the League for a reason.”

He pats your head before finally letting you go. He turns around to walk back down the hall. You want to call out to him. Tell him to stay and hug you again. You want to latch onto him and possibly spend the night together drowning in one another. He didn’t laugh or make fun of you. He listened intently and then hugged you. It was so unexpected of someone considered so vile.

Before turning the corner he shouts back, “We’ll have a movie night today. Come out of your room later.”

You can only nod silently as he disappears as if he can see you. His heat is already being missed.

You think you will join them for that movie later.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 285: You Looked Like You Needed Saving

Previously on BnHA: Deku was all, “hey guys I’m just gonna fight Tomura one on one and risk my own life rather than risk letting him do the whole Destroying Everything bit again.” Kacchan was all “WAIT NO ARE YOU SERIOUS THAT’S THE EXACT THING I HATE THE MOST” and indignantly launched into his “P.S. I CARE ABOUT DEKU” flashback, which was a revelation in that it proved exactly what Bakugou fans have been saying this whole time, AND YET OUR MINDS WERE STILL BLOWN ANYWAY, BECAUSE HOLY SHIT, HE REALLY WENT AND SAID IT OUT LOUD THOUGH. Anyway, so Deku’s strategy for defeating Tomura is to, you guessed it, break his fucking arms again; and meanwhile a frantic Katsuki is gearing up on the sidelines to do something really awesome and incredibly stupid, probably; and all in all it’s a pretty terrible situation our boys have found themselves in. Terrible for them, but GREAT for me, and I’ve never been so hyped in my life omg.

Today on BnHA: Deku breaks both of his arms like a dozen times over. Like, just pages and pages of arm breaking. Just like in the good old days! Meanwhile Kacchan is all “jesus christ, okay you know what would be a better idea, JUST SETTING HIM ON FIRE AGAIN”, and so he grabs Shouto and Endeavor, and they do a whole Prominence Burn combo thing. The AFO-inside-of-Tomura is all “‘sup it’s me again, but seriously now would be a REALLY good time to let me take over your body”, and so Tomura TOTALLY DOES LET HIM TAKE OVER, WHOOP, and so AFO is all “HELLS YEAH.” And then he STRAIGHT UP STABS MY SON, WHOSE BODY WAS SIMPLY MOVING ON ITS OWN, YOU KNOW, JUST HERO THINGS. Anyway so now Kacchan is fucking dead*, and so if I were AFO I would start putting as much distance as possible between myself and Deku right the fuck now, because boy, IF YOU THOUGHT HE WAS MAD BEFORE? Holy shit. We’re about to see a whole new level aren’t we.

LOL WE’RE OFF TO A GRAND OLD START

Deku’s arms should sue for legal emancipation. I think most of us can agree that they’re probably better off without him. sure they’ll have to buy their own food and stuff, but I think the trade-off is more than fair

oh wow that 100% shit really is something though

too bad it did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! spoiler alert. I don’t even have to scroll to the next page, Deku. we already know

OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUS

did Deku really pull off some “three hits in one” bullshit, or is this a mistranslation referring to the fact that Deku’s already hit him twice with his left arm, and so this is now the third 100% hit. kinda hoping for the latter, ngl. either way though, I’m really getting a “Deku’s arms are legitimately done for” vibe from this

ESPECIALLY SINCE:

DEKU YOU SHRUB!!! WAS IT WORTH IT YOU EGG FDKF KKDJ YOU DON’T GET BONUS POINTS FOR BREAKING THEM TWICE

goddammit I’m pretty sure he just Detroit Smashed the last remaining hero brain cell. now they have diddly squat to work with, oh this is bad

...

do you guys remember a few weeks back when I was joking about him breaking the rest of his bones and using Blackwhip to move his shattered body around like a grotesque marionette. do you specifically remember the part where that was a joke

holy shit Deku. it’s like we’re all the way back to square one with you. wasn’t that like the first thing Aizawa taught you, not to break your whole body apart? how are you supposed to fight Tomura if you can’t move?? why didn’t you wait for one of your pals who could hit him with an attack from long range WITHOUT BREAKING EVERY SINGLE BONE IN THEIR BODIES. WHERE DID YOUR BIG HERO BRAIN GO

boy you better pray one of those remaining quirks is a healing factor, or else you’re gonna be on IR for a LONG time. anyway. idk why I’m getting so worked up when I already knew this was going to happen lol. it’s just like Katsuki said; he takes himself out of the equation. it’s worth sacrificing his own body if it means he can take out AFO and prevent Tomura from hurting anyone else again. it’s just that... well. you know that saying about taking calculated risks when you are bad at math?

GUH I REALLY HATE THAT TOMURA IS STILL COMPLETELY FINE KSKWOILWKKJ AT LEAST PRETEND TO BE A LITTLE HURT, WOULD YOU

please ignore all of those worried-sounding thoughts; I think we all know that’s a bunch of bullshit. completely and utterly fine. the only person Deku’s attacks hurt was himself. hip hip hooray

anyway. so now, this!

pretty sure he can’t use Decay or AFO without at least touching SOMETHING, so I’m guessing this is another one of his new quirks. dammit Tomura why are you so fucking invincible

HAHAHA MEANWHILE

if I were you, Deku’s Arms, I would simply detach from his body altogether at this point. cut my losses. mmm

OOF HE HIT HIM WITH THE WHOLE OF TEXAS

spoiler alert: again, it did nothing. SORRY TO KEEP RUINING THE SUSPENSE FOR YOU GUYS. is there a single human being reading this who thought for even for the milliest of seconds that this stood a chance of working though

OH MY GOD

DEKU GET IT TOGETHER YOU’RE STARTING TO LOOK LIKE THE ENIGMA OF AMIGARA FAULT AND I CAN’T STAND THIS ACTUALLY

so Tomura is all “there must be something I can do to stop this fucking kid” and shuffling through his quirk pokedex while he’s tossed around bleeding in the air

hey Tomura I’ll tell you right now that you don’t actually need to do a damn thing except not die for roughly the next thirty seconds or so, and then you’ve got this. the quirk that can stop this kid is called “One for All”, and it just so happens he’s already got you covered bruh

and Katsuki’s realized the same thing, apparently!

SHOUTO YOU’RE NOT EVEN LOOKING?? wow that is some trust right there. focused on cauterizing Gran and Aizawa’s wounds, I guess

MEANWHILE KATSUKI IS PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS. HE FOUND A NEW BRAIN CELL! A WHOLE DAMN CACHE OF FRESH NEW BRAIN CELLS, LOOK AT THIS

THANKS FOR THAT, PROFESSOR

OH SHIT SON ARE WE MOUNTING A COUNTERATTACK?

I like how Endeavor is just SITTING THERE in the background looking all disgruntled. yes, sorry about that sir, this is now Kacchan’s show. he’s in charge now. time for that long-range attack I was complaining about them not doing earlier?? hopefully?? omg

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS IT’S A BAKUROKI TRIPLE COMBO?!?!

ARE YOU GOING TO YEET THEM A LA GANG ORCA?? ALSO OH MY GOD, HE REALLY IS IN CHARGE. FIRST DEKU TOOK OVER FOR TWO MINUTES UNTIL HE BROKE ALL HIS BONES, AND NOW IT’S KACCHAN’S TIME. I’M SO PROUD OF YOU KIDS

LOL SHOUTO’S GETTING IN ON THIS TOO

THIS JUST IN, THE KIDS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE MANGA, ADULTS OF BNHA IN SHAMBLES

WELL MAYBE NEXT TIME DON’T LET AIZAWA GET SHOT THEN, YOU HAT!!!

WOOP OKAY WE FLYING NOW

Kacchan, tired of sitting back watching Deku invent new ways to die, decides to improvise a few of his own. hmmmmmmm

(ETA: HE LEARNED FROM THE BEST ORZ.)

OKAY WAIT A MINUTE NOW

why does this sound like he’s planning something on his own after the Todorokis have done their part. KACCHAN. EXCUSE ME, KACCHAN

SDLFKJLKJLJ

OKAY HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE

IS THIS LEADING WHERE I THINK IT’S LEADING, HOLY --

-- ooOF

I WASN’T FUCKING READY FOR THAT ONE. BAKUBULLYING FROM HIS OWN NOW-REMORSEFUL POV. SHIT. FUCKING FELT THAT. HERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE BUILDING UP TO AN “ALL FOR ONE FOR ALL” REVEAL, AND THEN YOU GO AND PULL THAT INSTEAD, WHAT’S GOING ON

-- HOLD UP WE’RE NOT DONE WITH THIS ONE YET MAYBE!!

“ONE FOR ALL IS”??!? KDSLFJAKLSJLKJLKJL AND THEN INTERRUPTING ME WITH THE CUTE BABIES WATCHING THE ALL MIGHT FOOTAGE, OH MY GOD. I’M JUST WILDLY REACTING TO EVERYTHING THAT’S BEING THROWN AT ME RIGHT NOW LMAO I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS IS LEADING

OOF THE NOTEBOOK

KACCHAN THIS ISN’T EVEN YOUR MEMORY HONEY, GET IT TOGETHER

OH MY GLOB

THIS IS THE MOST NONSENSICAL SEQUENCE OF PANELS RIGHT NOW. I’M SURE THIS IS ALL SHORTLY GOING TO COME TOGETHER IN SOME PROFOUND WAY THAT’S GOING TO KICK MY EMOTIONS SQUARE IN THE BALLS, BUT RIGHT NOW I’M JUST ALL “OOH AHH” LIKE SOME HAPLESS RUBE ALONG FOR THE RIDE. p.s. this chapter still doesn’t have a title!! p.p.s. Horikoshi is a knave

(ETA: HORIKOSHI IS A FUCKING MALFEASANT!!)

I CAN’T TAKE THIS??

PLEASE STOP BUILDING UP TO WHATEVER IT IS YOU’RE BUILDING UP TO AND JUST SAY IT ALREADY, I’M DYING OMG

...and we’re cutting back to the action. godfuckingdammit it’s gonna be one of those chapters where the entire thing is just buildup to some huge reveal on the very last page isn’t it

(ETA: [sounds of screaming heard in the distance])

anyway so this next page is just Deku flying in the air, and Tomura flying through the air, and Endeavor+Katsuki+Shouto flying through the air, and everyone’s flying through the air, and we’re all just flying. TALK TO ME MORE ABOUT THE CURSE OF OFA DAMN IT

OOHHHHHH

guess if it was good enough for Hood, it’s probably their best shot huh. better than whatever the fuck Deku was trying to pull at any rate

OOP

gotta admit, if I didn’t already know full well that Tomura could not possibly die here, I’d have been pretty convinced he was dying here lol

DSFKJL ENDEAVOR BUDDY YOU MIGHT HAVE POSSIBLY OVERDONE IT JUST A BIT

wait... is that Blackwhip...?? or???

OH SHIT

WHAT EVEN IS THIS CHAPTER, COME ON

-- FMMMJAKAKJDJL, UM

TIME TO SCROLL BACK UP TO THAT PANEL OF TOMURA BEING MELTED, AND READ WHAT AFO WAS SAYING A LITTLE MORE CAREFULLY LMAOOOO. LOL. WHOOPS. OH NO KATSUKI WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

AHHHHHHHH

WHAT’S WITH THE NARRATION SQUARE ALL OF A SUDDEN AHHHHHH

oh my fresh and citrusy lord. this is it isn’t it. all of my theories converge at once. Tomura being possessed by AFO; OFA is AFO/Deku has AFO; Katsuki does something stupid and loses his quirk. THE PERFECT STORM. THEORY SINGULARITY

oh my lord oh my god oh my lord oh my god honey what are you doing, honey, no

his body’s moving before he can think. WHAT ARE THESE FLASHBACKS OF ALL HIS DEKU RELATED MEMORIES. BULLYING DEKU, BEING SAVED FROM THE SLUDGE MONSTER, RECONCILING WITH HIM AT GROUND BETA, OH MY GOD. I’M NOT READY. [WRAPS MYSELF IN A BLANKET BURRITO AND SLOWLY SCROLLS DOWN FROM THE SAFETY OF MY COCOON]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

HORIKOSHI KOUHEI: [LOADS GUN WITH CHAPTER TITLE AND AIMS DIRECTLY FOR MY HEART]

ME: [SWEATING]

HORIKOSHI: [SMILES, REACHES FOR THE TRIGGER... AND THEN SUCKER PUNCHES ME SQUARE IN THE FACE]

excuse me WHAT. PARDON, THE FUCK. WHY ARE THE FIRST FEW LONE PIANO NOTES OF ADELE’S “SKYFALL” PLAYING. WHAT THE FUCK

excuse me, Horikoshi. excuse me, could I just -- could I get. COULD I JUST GET A WORD WITH YOU FOR A MINUTE. SIR

son of a. ...how am I even supposed to wrap this up. just

sob okay. so let’s just. ...

All for One 100% just took Tomura’s body over. like, he was all “Tomura, you’re fucking dying, just give me your body you muppet”, and Tomura couldn’t really argue on account of he really was dying, and so, YOINK. which is the sound that a body makes when it’s being taken over, I think

All for One then activated his forced activation quirk?? which OF FUCKING COURSE he passed on to Tomura as well. so THAT’S JUST GREAT

Kacchan is seriously the fastest character in the series. the reflexes, the sheer speed necessary to intercept that hit? goddamn

every single one of those BakuDeku flashbacks are now wanted by the FBI for first-degree murder of me

this has nothing to do with Kacchan fucking dying and stuff, but is it just me or were there HUGE “Kacchan as Bakugou’s hero name” vibes earlier on in this chapter with the flashbacks to Deku explaining the meaning behind his own name, HMM

and speaking of, this is the first time we’ve gotten Kacchan narrating in the little box panels, unless I’m completely mistaken somehow. Horikoshi really waited almost 300 whole chapters to do that. and it was worth it. holy shit

fun fact, this moment is something that’s been on my wishlist since chapter 12 lol, you can go back and check the recap if you want. back then I called it a long shot. oh how the times have changed

I DON’T KNOW HOW I’M EVEN SO STUNNED ABOUT THIS, GUYS. this is exactly what I predicted at the end of the last chapter. MY CHILD IS DUMB. THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT. HE’S THAT EXACT KIND OF SHOUNEN DUMB. WE’VE KNOWN IT ALL ALONG

oh my god. and now Deku’s gonna go ham, arms or no arms. AND BETS ON WHICH NEW QUIRK HE’S ABOUT TO UNLOCK? because the last time someone so much as insulted Kacchan in his presence, he SPONTANEOUSLY GREW SHADOW TENTACLES OUT OF THE BLUE AND ATTEMPTED TO MURDER THE PERSON. so if this kid has got ANYTHING left up his sleeve, I have to imagine that SEEING HIS PRECIOUS CHILDHOOD FRIEND TAKE A DEADLY ATTACK MEANT FOR HIM is gonna leave him feeling SOME KINDA WAY. I literally have no idea what’s going to happen next but I would not count this angry little broccoli out yet. not as long as he’s still conscious

anyway. so I wonder what’s the world record for continuous screaming, and whether or not I could break said record by doing such nonstop from now until a week from now when I finally get to read the next chapter

...lol apparently the record is only 8 mins and 45 seconds so GOOD NEWS GUYS, WITH THE POWER OF THIS NEW CHAPTER, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE HISTORY. DEEP BREATH. -- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[sugiwa]

the fact that bakugou said "what heroes do" TWICE in this chapter 😭😭😭 i'm in pain but it hurts so good lmao. i really love the dynamic between izumi and the lov, and i also really liked how you included momo's revelation that the villains were also humans with feelings and personalities. there is so much going through my mind right now and not enough juice in my brain to properly say it all but this chapter was heartbreakingly amazing and you're a fantastic writer and i hope that you can pet a puppy, get free food from your favorite restaurant, and find $20 on the ground.

I always love when the title is included, no matter how cheesy it is and I feel like Bakugou's really coming to terms with what he needs to do, that next step is just his talk with All Might/Deku, but we're starting to see the kind of hero he is going to become.

Okay, so confession, the original plan for the kidnapping had been for Izumi to actually stay with the villains until the overhaul arc, but my BFF who deserves a lot of credit for listening to my rambles talked me out of it, so Izumi with the LoV would've been genuinely insane, but amazing. I think her and Shigaraki actually have a good parallel because he's a mirror of what Izumi could've become had Edgeshot not rescued her that day when she was leaving to see her mom. Also, Momo witnessing their humanity is so important b/c she plays a vital role in the war arc, so it's really going to establish the class's morality vs what the public wants.

As always, thank you for your kind words and I really really hope the rest of ur week/month/year/life goes well :)

[handweavers]

coming in w random anon confession bc i feel like i needed to tell, but ok. so i remember shooting u an ask abt haircare ages ago bc then it was my first time having long hair and i needed advice, and lmao god it did help. but now i come in w an update that i found out i really do have textured hair and its not just something random between straight and wavy (and its also wild how long it took me bc all my babyhairs are curly, even more after starting t). like i still dont know to what extent since im 2 days into treating it properly and having texture show (my guess is im gonna turn out to be 2c lol) but like. im reeling w the revelation and that it adds me to the ranks of "mixed kid raised by white parent that never gave the right hair care". but anyway. im just having a #girl moment over this and since it was ur ask on haircare that motivated me to pay more attention to my hair i felt like i needed 2 share. anyway. have a good day, peace :)

thank u for updating me 🥺❤️ not joking the same thing happened w me where i had 2b/2c hair as a kid when i didn't wash my hair as much and then around puberty i started washing my hair more often like every day or every other day the way my white family told me you should do and my hair lost so much texture but I thought it just changed because that happens in puberty with some people and also the medication i've been on since then is known to sometimes cause changes in the structure of the hair follicle but i started doing the curly girl method like a month ago (only wash my hair like once or twice a week, load it up with conditioner and leave in conditioner, only dry it with a t-shirt, add gel when hair is fully wet in the shower and allow to dry etc) and my hair is back to being 2b/2c again. so literally we have the same hair <3

[skytroops]

uncomfortable family reunion.

Skye was discharged from hospital after almost two weeks in recovery. With Ash constantly away on “sponsored business” thanks to Chairman Rose, Skye and Goh decide to find Sonia as they want to talk to her about Zacian and the sword Zacian had given Skye in his time under the glamour. After calling Professor Magnolia’s lab, they find out that Sonia went down south to the Crown Tundra to investigate the sightings of a “mysterious Pokémon”.

Skye and Goh head down there and end up in Freezington. To their surprise, everyone in the tiny town all speaks with Skye’s accent. They are greeted by the mayor, and a dazed Skye asks if there was anyone in town with the surname ‘Hunter’. The mayor points to an elderly woman with a Spheal; her name is Morag Hunter.

Goh hangs back to ask the mayor about Sonia as Skye approaches Morag. She confirms that she is a Hunter, and then asks Skye why he speaks like a Freezie. Skye tells her he is a Hunter and has been searching for the long lost Galar branch of the Hunter clan.

Morag is surprised and quickly ushers Skye into her house so that they could have a long talk over some tea. Skye speaks of his huge family and shows her pictures of the last family reunion, much to Morag’s tearful delight. She tells him that she believed that she had become one of the last Hunters, as her daughter hadn’t kept the name when she got married.

Before they could delve deeper, a teenage girl barges into the house and is followed by a man who looked almost exactly like Chairman Rose at the window.

And. . .

a.

After Skye has a. . .moment to collect himself, Morag and her collection of old family records go on to explain the family history.

Their ancestors were farmers who used to grow extremely rare crops of Iceroot and Shaderoot carrots. For whatever the reason, over a number of generations, the crops dwindled and continued to fail despite the farmers efforts. This sets the stage for the Hunter clan to be split in two by a set of brothers.

The brothers (Dillard and Clyde) had been raised to grow their own carrots, which caused a bitter rivalry between them. The rivalry reached a boiling point when both brothers’ crops failed. The brothers accused each other of sabotage, to which they both denied and ended up causing a town-wide fight to break out.

In the end, most of the town sided with Clyde. Disgraced, Dillard disowned his Freezington family and took off with his wife and two of his kids. No one in Freezington ever saw or heard from them ever again.

After that, the Iceroot and Shaderoot carrots refused to grow and the number of Freezington Hunters shrunk down to just Morag, her daughter, and her daughter’s daughter. Morag reveals that Clyde was her grandfather, which means she is Skye's second cousin twice removed (as Skye's third great-grandparents are also Morag's great-grandparents). Morag's daughter, Heather, is Skye's third cousin once removed and Peonia is Skye's fourth cousin. Which means Peony is Skye's third uncle-in-law once removed. Chairman Rose is a part of Skye's long lost family. So. I bet you didn't see this one comin', huh? Originally, Skye was going to only find Morag (who is based on the "busy doing nothing" NPC) and an OC grandchild but I figured that reveal was pretty anti-climatic for such a long running mystery. So I had a hard thunk and thought; "Hey, what if Peony's wife is from Freezington and that's why he set up base there and that's why he knows the local legends there?" and just RAN. I actually thought up yet another big family connection while coming up with this, but I want to see the reaction to this revelation before I decide if I want to bring that into the fray also. I kinda just wanna go buckwild but also wanna keep myself reigned in lmao i had to write this whole description again after accidentally deleting the whole thing so it might read weird :^)))))

[peachy-blinderss]

What? I Am a Good Girl Pt.2

Part one here! 

Based off the following request: 

“Could you do a Tommy one where everyone thinks you’re some good girl that doesn’t get mixed up in the business, but one day they find you helping Tommy get a hit planned out?“

Warnings: Mentions of death, murder, violence, swearing, fighting, soft fluffy Tommy ;) 

Word Count: 2094

Slowish Burn, Friends to lovers :)

Part three will be coming shortly. I have a tendency to be super long winded and bad at getting to the point so hopefully this isn’t too boring. I guess this is a bit of a filler. I really hope you like it anyway though. I know I’m not the best writer out there but hopefully you enjoy this. And I know some people will say “oh this isn’t in character for tommy, you write Tommy too nice.” I definitly do but I’m out here living my soft Thomas Shelby fantasy lmao. I am always going to write Tommy as a nice guy f canon 😂 Please leave a comment to tell me what you liked or didn’t like. Thank you for support as always. 

Love you all,

Lex :) 

                                                         ✺ ✺  

      Chirping birds woke you up well before your 7am meeting time with Tommy. Never a morning person, you groaned while covering your face with your pillow. You tossed and turned until you couldn’t stand it anymore. You dramatically uncovered your face and threw your pillow in the direction of the chirping. Fucking birds. Rolling to the edge of the bed you finally forced yourself to sit up and face the day. The only consolation for your far too early wake up call was that you were seeing Tommy today. A large smile split your face when you thought of your best friend and you were excited to see him. Even though you had only seen him hours before, you missed him and begged the clock to move faster towards seven. As much as you relied on each other, you both didn’t see each other as much as you would like. Tommy was a busy man who made time for few. You were one of the lucky ones and you only saw him once or twice a week. 

       You finally forced yourself out of your warm bed, lazily strolling towards your kitchen in search of breakfast. You took your time not feeling like moving fast so early. Eventually, it was time to get dressed and leave so you quickly changed and headed out the door. 

       It was summertime in Birmingham which meant you could wear dresses outside and not freeze to death. You reveled in the rare sunshine warming your cheeks and sighed in contentment while making the short walk to the betting shop. Much to your disappointment you quickly came upon the shop which would force you to swap the sunshine for the dull atmosphere it held. Before you had the chance to go in you heard someone calling your name behind you. The first thing you noticed was the clear blue eyes of your best friend. A cheeky smirk crossed your face as Tommy approached you. 

     “My my is the Thomas Shelby running late?” you giggled out. “I’m almost offended because you’re never late for anything.”

      He rolled his eyes as he planted a quick kiss to your cheek. You wondered if it was the sun or his plump lips that made the skin of your cheek heat up. You shook your head to rid yourself of such a ludicrous thought and smiled brightly at him. Tommy lit a cigarette before pointing it at you. 

      “I’ll have you know I was not late Y/N. I was pulling the car around back for Curly to fill up with Petrol. I would never be late for anything involving my best girl,” Tommy said with a lazy smirk on his face. 

       You were immediately excited by his words. It wasn’t often you left Small Health and it was even rarer when you left Small Health with Tommy. You knew today was going to be a good day. You were practically bouncing with your excitement and beaming like a small child on Christmas. As he grabbed your hand to lead you to his car you couldn’t stop the barrage of questions pouring out of your lips. 

        “Where are we going, Tommy? Are we going to the country? Are we going to London?” You said eagerly shaking your intertwined hands back and forth. Tommy swore you were both fifteen again and about to sneak off on your first trip outside of Small Health together. He smiled fondly at the memory. 

        “If we go to the country can I drive the car? Oh it’s so nice out we should have a picnic! Maybe we could ride the horses and visit the Lees and-”

      “Y/n! Lord woman calm down. I’m not telling you where we are going until we get there, now please get in the car,” Tommy said while opening your car door. 

     “Fine but I’m going to bother you the whole way there Thomas,” you chuckled manically. 

                                                         ✺ ✺  

       About an hour had passed driving through the lush countryside and you were barely quiet the entire time. You had to make the most of the rare alone time with Tommy. He only got mad at you once when you started worrying over the large bruise covering part of his left eye. Your pouty lips and puppy dog eyes made him forgive you rather quickly. Tommy always had a hard time staying mad at you. Time passed too fast for your liking when you finally felt the car roll to a stop. You would’ve been perfectly content driving and chatting Tommy’s ear off for the rest of the day. Despite this, you were excited to see a stable off in the distance. You almost loved horses as much as Tommy did. 

      “Are we riding today Tommy?” you questioned him happily. 

         His only reply was the cryptic smirk he sent your way before he walked to your side of the car and helped you out. Remaining silent he grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the stable. Tommy rubbed his thumb on the back of your hand to calm you down. He always did that when you were nervous or excited because you had very strong emotions that pulled you all over the place. Tommy only let go of your hand to push open the stable doors. Once you were inside you were overwhelmed with the sight of the many beautiful horses. One large black stallion in particular caught your eye. You dropped Tommy’s hand in order to move closer to it. He truly was beautiful and you couldn’t resist patting his nose. Tommy smiled softly as he watched you whispering to his horse. You were so enamored with the stallion you jumped when Tommy began speaking behind you. You cursed Tommy under your breath for scarring you. 

      “His name is Apollo,” Tommy laughed as you swatted his arm, “the owner of this stable is a good friend of mine and has been training him up for a few months now. He’ll be racing at the Derby tomorrow. James Burton’s horse will also be racing in the same Derby. I’m sure you can see where this is going Y/N.”

       You remained quiet as you pondered Tommy’s words. You knew you’d do anything for him and you were very curious to see what he planned for you. 

      “What do you need me to do Tommy? I’m ready to do whatever it takes,” you said softly. 

         Tommy sighed sadly in response, “Aye, that’s what I’m afraid of Y/N. I shouldn’t have brought you into this. It would have been better if you didn’t know, but I don’t know what else to do.”

        You were shocked to see the genuine sadness in his eyes. He hadn’t looked so sad since he was a boy. Tommy told you almost everything but he always hid the bad parts from you. He never wanted you to see him falter and always tried to protect you from what he didn’t want you to see. You knew the situation was grave when you saw how he looked at you. 

       “James Burton will not be leaving the race alive,” Tommy said slowly. “He is a liability and he is getting far too confident. He needs to be disposed of quickly and quietly. As much as I don’t like it you will distract him while the rest of the boys dispatch his men. There are a few private boxes at this track, you are to take him there and keep him preoccupied with the race. There is a door behind each bar in the boxes, I will be waiting there and I will kill him when the time is right. Do you understand?”

       “Tommy, wouldn’t it make more sense if I were to do it? I mean it would be so easy to carry a small gun in my purse and spring it on him when he least expects it. What if he hears you come in when you open the door and you get hurt? I really think it would be best if you let me-”

     Tommy immediately cut you off before you could finish. You could see the fury practically rolling off his body which scared you a bit. Tommy never got like this with you. 

        “Absolutely not Y/N. Have you gone fucking mad? I will not risk it. I will not risk you,” Tommy roared. 

      You were furious. You couldn’t believe Tommy was talking to you like this. Not one to hold back you turned your anger onto him. 

    “Why do you constantly underestimate me, Tommy? I am a far better shot than John, and hell I’m probably a better shot than you. Just because I am a woman doesn’t mean I’m not capable. Why did you ask me to help if you aren’t going to trust me, eh? You just want me to be some pretty damsel in distress and I don’t fucking like it. I’m not useless Thomas, why can’t you see that?” you seethed. 

        Tommy roughly ran both hands over his face before he threw himself down on a nearby stool. Your headstrong nature drove him mad sometimes and he wished you would just listen to him. He lit a cigarette and thought for a few minutes before speaking again. Meanwhile, you were glaring a hole into the side of his head. 

     “Love come sit by me, eh? I don’t want to fight with you, “ Tommy said while gently patting the stool next to him. 

     You tried to keep yourself from going over to him but you melted when he called you love. Tommy knew good and well that was one of your weaknesses. He never fought fair. You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms with an over exaggerated huff leaving your mouth. You forced yourself to stay cemented to where you stood. 

     “Please love, we never fight. Let’s not start now, eh?” 

      Damn him and his husky voice and pouty lips and puppy dog eyes you mentally cursed as you crossed the stable and sat down on the stool next to him. Refusing to let him win so easily, you dramatically crossed your arms over your chest before turning your back to him. You always forgave him quickly, but today you wanted to make him sweat. 

     “Y/N look at me, please. I need you to talk to me,” Tommy said. 

        Still, you refused to turn around and face him. Accepting the situation, Tommy began talking at your back. 

        “Love, I know what you’re capable of. You are one of the bravest people I know and I know you could easily handle Burton. I just don’t want you to ever know what it’s like to kill a man. It changes you. It makes you cold and bitter and I don’t want that for you. I want to keep you safe and I don’t want you to end up how I have. I’ve become a bad man. I kill men who look at me the wrong way and children are scared of me. I don’t want you to know what that’s like. Please Y/N don’t be angry at me” he pleaded with you.

      Tommy turned you to him when he heard you sniffle. His calloused thumb quickly wiped the tears falling from your eyes. It broke his heart when you cried and he never liked to be the reason for it. 

        “Please don’t cry, love. I’m sorry for upsetting you,” Tommy said softly while grabbing your hands and lightly running his thumbs across the back of them. You began to calm down and you finally looked Tommy in the eye. 

       “It’s not that Tommy. It just breaks my heart to hear you speak so lowly of yourself. You are the kindest and sweetest man I have ever known and I wish you could see yourself how I see you. I’m crying because I worry so much about you and thinking of you getting hurt makes me physically ill. I want to protect you too you stupid idiot,” You said while lightly punching his chest. 

       “Are we ok then Y/N? I want to make sure we are fine before tomorrow?” Tommy asked nervously while wiping the remaining tears from your cheeks.

     “Yes Thomas, we are ok. And yes Thomas I will follow your plan so stop worrying,” you rolled your eyes. 

         You could see him visibly relax and you giggled as he kissed the back of your hand while mumbling quiet thank yous. 

        “Oh, but Thomas?” You said with a cheeky smirk on your face “I’m going to need a new dress for tomorrow and I trust you can handle that for me.”

        Tommy rolled his eyes playfully at you, “Whatever you want love.”

[raysofcrosby]

LITTLE DO YOU KNOW PT. 7

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦–– 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦'𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵." – 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐀𝐦𝐲 & 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫

gif credit (x)

series masterlist

requested: yes | no

warnings: slight *unprotected* smut, implied sexual situations, otherwise its just fluffy convo.

word count: 10,282 [it’s a fucking novel ladies and gents, better buckle up]

authors note: FIRST AND FOREMOST, i’m going to apologize for the horribly written smut. i never write smut bc 1) i suck at it and 2) it makes me feel awkward lmao [sidenote: safe sex is great sex!!!].  also, if a boy did for me what tyler did for baby benn in this– then homeboy could like...get it. ALSO this ending wasn’t supposed to be the original ending, but i feel like it adds a little more oomph when it comes to small things involving the storyline– so i hope it doesn’t flop. i hope you guys’ enjoy! i love reading your comments, seeing your tags in the reblogs and just seeing that you guys’ enjoy this story as much as i enjoy writing it! without further ado, here’s part 7!

Your weekend with Tyler was exactly what you needed as a break away from school and of course, the biggest blessing Dallas was about to receive– the rest of the Benn's. Jordie was in town with the Canucks and your parents, Jenn, your brother-in-law, and your niece were all flying down to not only have a small visit with you before you traveled home for Christmas but to also see the two boys play against each other. Sure, they were able to see Jamie and Jordie play against each other only a few days ago when the Stars stopped in Vancouver, but there was one thing that the game didn't have– you. And you were never one to toot your own horn when it came to your siblings, but you were the favorite– second to Jenny at times. She was the firstborn and she had blessed your parents with a grandchild way before the rest of you. But you were the baby, and that was always a prize.

The rest of your family all got into Dallas around the same time, but since you had class and Jamie and Jordie had workouts, you guys didn't plan to get together until lunch, which unfortunately for Jamie, cut into his pre-game nap– but at least he'd get a free meal out of it, thanks to your parents. Until then though, you were suffering in your classes, too busy thinking about this past weekend and telling Kennedy everything you'd learned from Brandon about this Maisy girl. Kennedy didn't know who she was, and being the best friend ever, kept you out of your own worst thoughts by assuring you that if the relationship was as serious as Brandon said it was– Tyler wouldn't have played it off as nothing.

And that kept the bad thoughts out of your head for most of the day, until it came time to pick Jamie up at his place. The conversation in the car between your parents, you and Kennedy also kept you distracted– it was easy to talk about how school was going and how her family was doing, but when they mentioned your internship, it was hard not to immediately think about Tyler. Thankfully, by the time that came around, you guys were pulling up to Jamie's. Before your dad could even put the rental into park, you offered to run up and grab Jamie, that way they didn't have to get out of the car. You ran up the front steps and rang the doorbell an obnoxious amount of times and when the door opened, you were pleased to see Jenn standing there with a smile on her face.

"You know, there's a child sleeping in here," she joked, wrapping you in in a hug.

"Sleep is for the weak, Jenn. Kennedy is in the car with mom and dad, just send her to the back of the SUV so you guys can make room for the car seat."

"That's okay, Y/N. I managed to snag a sick rental," Andrew, your brother-in-law smiled, walking past with the car seat in his hands and giving you a one-armed hug.

"And by sick, he means a red 4runner," Jenn rolled her eyes as Andrew carried the car seat to their rental in the driveway. "He really just left without letting you see her, didn't he?"

"I'll see my favorite niece at lunch, that's fine," you laughed, watching as she put her purse on her shoulder. "Is he inside?"

"Jamie? Oh yeah, he's almost ready. We'll go ahead and follow you guys to the restaurant."

You nodded and walked inside as she walked out to their rental, closing the door behind her. "JAMIE EVERYONE'S READY BUT YOU!" You yelled out, unsure just where he was in his house.

"Jesus Christ, Y/N. You don't need to blow a guy's eardrum out like that," he groaned, walking from around the corner. "I just need to finish my hair and then grab water and I'm ready to head out."

"J...why are you even bothering to do your hair when you'll mess it up during your nap?"

He stopped in his tracks as if the thought never even crossed his mind. "Well, fine. But let me grab a hat at least so I don't have to brush it."

You sighed and leaned against the stairway, looking around his house aimlessly. When your eyes landed on an old picture of him and Tyler with Dude Perfect, a thought entered your mind. "Hey J? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, why not?"

You bit the inside of your cheek, wondering whether or not you should ask. Would it make Jamie suspicious to...whatever the hell you and Tyler had? Would he tease you for even wanting to know? "Do you know who Maisy is?"

"Huh?"

"Maisy! Do you–" You started to yell, only to see him come back down the hallway with a hat in his hands. "Do you know who Maisy is?"

He didn't even bother to stop this time, only walking away and into his kitchen. "Like, Tyler's Maisy?"

Your stomach dropped then and there straight into the bottom of your shoes. 'Tyler's Maisy.' You weren't sure if it was the nonchalant way that he said it or the fact that he just confirmed that Brandon wasn't lying that made you feel so uneasy– but either way...you were.

"Yeah, where they like...a thing?"

He came out of the kitchen holding onto two water bottles and tossing you one. A genuine look of concern on his face sent your heartbeat into overdrive as you tried to keep your expression as neutral as possible. "I mean, yeah. I don't know if they were ever really official, but she was his man hookup all last season."

He walked away again, this time coming back and shoving his wallet into his short pockets. "She also kind of played a roll in why he had to pick his new house so fast. Granted he already had two settled, but I guess she accidentally leaked his address on Instagram or snapchat or something after order postmates." He opened the front door, grabbing his house keys off of the hanger. "Also, there was this huge spamming thing from random accounts on twitter, some sports forum and other crap saying he needed to go public with her. They'd even comment on Candace and Cassidy's stuff."

As you followed him out of the door, it all started to make sense as to why Tyler didn't want you to ever post that you were at his house– it wasn't fully out of fear that Jamie would know you were there...but because he was scared that maybe you'd leak his address. And while that revelation made you feel a little more at ease, you couldn't help but acknowledge the hint of sadness when you connected Brandon's comments about Tyler not letting Maisy post stuff, to what Jamie just confirmed.

"I think he broke it off in the summer though, why?"

You shook yourself out of your thoughts and walked ahead of him. "Oh nothing, I just heard some frat guys talking about her when I dropped Cole's stuff off."

"Yeah, well I wasn't the only one who warned Seggy about getting involved with a college girl. I mean, I got lucky with Katie, but there's also a three year age difference between us." You were shocked at Jamie's reply as he walked ahead of you this time. "Tyler's going for girls now where the age difference is like six to seven years– I mean, maybe mentally he's right for them, but it's just...I don't know it never works out and we keep trying to tell him that, but you know how he is."

You just smiled and nodded as he opened the car door for you and you saw Kennedy climb into the next row of seats. You followed suit, saving a seat for when you went to pick up Jordie and ultimately ending your conversation there. The conversation picked up between everyone in the car as you made your way to your lunch destination, but you were lost in your little world, resting on the things both Brandon and Jamie have said...plus the fact that Tyler would be joining you guys for the post-game dinner in just a few hours.

How bad could it all go?

❒❒❒❒

Dinner was going to be a fun time and it would only be because you were going to be witness to Jamie rubbing it into Jordie's face that they beat them twice in less than a week. Little brother beating big brother– the theme to their entire childhood, was enough to entertain your dinner for 11. They spent a good five minutes arguing about who would cover the check, Jamie or Jordie and for a hot second, they both agreed that you would cover it– but a quick reminder that you were a college senior with no job and an unpaid internship, shut them down real quick. Otherwise, dinner was fun and heartwarming.

Your parents had invited Big Rig and Tyler along– Big Rig once they learned that he and Kennedy were an item, and Tyler because he was like another son to them, and Jamie's best friend. Luckily for you, the way everyone ended up being seated around the table, you had Kennedy and Big Rig to your right, and Tyler to your left, before it moved on to Jenn at the end of the table with your niece. The conversations were flowing all across the table and seemingly never-ending, everyone around the table, at least once, having the conversation focused on them. With Big Rig, it was his sister and if he liked being back in Dallas versus being in Pittsburgh. 

With Kennedy, it was how her family's work is going and whether she was ready to deal with the Canadian cold come Christmas. Jamie and Jordie were tied together, the same with Tyler when they weren't asking about how his family was doing. With you, it was school and how your internship with the team was going–  and God the conversation seemed never-ending. But you weren't sure if it was because you hated being the topic of everyone at dinner or if it was Tyler's hand resting on your thigh.

The entire night, beneath the table Tyler had been touching you. At first, it was knocking his knee against your own now and then before full on pressing his leg against yours. Then it escalated to him touching your leg and eventually keeping a hold on your leg throughout dinner. Acts that seemingly everyone around the table was oblivious to. And during dinner, the two of you kept up your chirping at one another like it was another day in the locker room, though there were few moments that slipped through, where it was like you were the only two in the room. A time, that once or twice, Kennedy had to nudge you with her knee to warn you that your flirtationship with Tyler was starting to make its presence known in front of your family. You would then nudge Tyler with your leg, signaling for him that the two of you needed to cool it down a little, but then you'd place a hand on his thigh, letting him know that a little touch was still okay. While keeping it on the low was a high priority, you couldn't help but feel reassured about Tyler's feelings towards you with those small touches– for they cast away any doubts you'd been thinking only hours before.

Everything was fine until you got up to go to the bathroom just before Jordie handed off his card to pay the bill, at least you thought it was. Because the moment you walked out of the bathroom, Jordie was leaning against the awning for the bathroom hallway, waiting for you. "Creeper isn't a good look, Jordie." You joked, brushing by him as you continued to shake your hands dry of the water that the air dryer didn't get.

"Is there something going on with you and Seggy?"

The question stopped you in your tracks, both because you had feared that maybe he had picked up on something during dinner and because he had asked so blatantly that you were scared someone else would hear. "What?" You asked, turning around.

He moved off of the wall, still crossing his arms and walked up to you. He looked around before looking back at you again. "Is there something going on with you and Seggy?"

"What?" This time, the question didn't come from you, but from Jamie who had just walked towards the bathroom awning. "No way, that's ridiculous!"

You looked between the two Benn brothers, Jamie looking at Jordie as if he was insulted that Jordie even suggested it, and Jordie giving you his 'I'm your big brother, I'm not as oblivious as this idiot so I already know the answer' look. "What are you three talking about?"

We looked to see our Mom coming around the corner with everyone else slowly trickling behind. "Jordie seems to think that Y/N and Tyler have something going on, which is stupid and he's probably just still bitter that he lost."

Your mom just looks between the three of you with raised eyebrows before nodding her head. As if he had perfect timing, Tyler came strolling around the corner and plopped two hands on Jamie's shoulders. "I'm going pee and then I'm headed home, the dogs need to be fed and let out."

You sent up a silent prayer to the Universe at the fact Tyler hadn't offered to drive you back to your dorm, especially after Jordie had seemingly connected the dots. "I'm going to catch wait by Big Rig's car, he's taking Kennedy home...so I'm catching a ride." You smiled, before removing yourself from the situation and walking out into the crisp, night air. 

It felt too stuffy in that restaurant all of a sudden and for the first time all night, you were grateful that your parents were staying with Jamie at his place instead of a hotel. That way, they had no choice but to take him straight home before they called it a night. They weren't obligated to drive you back to your dorm and both the Stars and your family were heading out of Dallas the next day.

"Hi, Sweetie." You turned around to see your mom making her way over to Big Rig's vehicle, pulling her cardigan across her chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," you huffed, nodding towards the restaurant. "It was just a little hot in there."

She nodded, seemingly accepting your pathetic excuse. She barely let the silence settle between you before she spoke again. "You know I love you and that no matter what it is, you don't have to keep secrets from me...right?"

You tried not to let your face give it away, that you knew where she was going with her conversation. "Y-Yeah, I do..."

She took a deep breath before turning to look back at the restaurant, making sure the coast was clear. "Is Jordie right? About you and Tyler? Is there...something going on between you?"

When Jordie had asked, you were fearful– scared that he would judge you on being with Tyler, your brother's best friend, hell...a close family friend in general. That if he knew, all of a sudden he'd see you as just another one of Tyler's playthings and not Y/N...his younger sister. But when your mom asked, it was like the pressure of hiding it, mixed with a huge swell of emotions just washed completely over you, drowning you if it could, and you started to cry. 

"Y-Yes..." You let out a small gasp as you went to speak immediately after your confession, "but please don't be mad at me mom– please don't–"

She took you into her arms and hugged you tightly, a hand resting at the back of your head and shooshing you to calm you down. You closed your eyes, taking in her embrace as you felt your shoulders feel a little lighter at the confession. When you pulled away, she held onto both of your hands before smiling at you. "So you and Tyler, you're...dating?"

"Yes...No..." You sighed, wiping your cheeks and shaking your head.  "I don't know."

Your mom laughed, which was a reaction that you didn't expect from her. "I'll never understand this generation and your definition of relationships. Just tell me one thing...do you like him?"

You looked down at the ground, thinking about the last few days that you'd spent with Tyler and smiling at the way he made you feel and the funny moments in between. "I do...a lot. We have fun together, you know? It's just...it's easy."

"And I assume that Jamie doesn't know?"

You looked away from her again, nodding your head in shame. "We haven't told him yet...I'm just, scared of what he'll think."

"He's your brother, Y/N. I'm sure he'll think no less of you because of who you're dating." She sighed, squeezing your hand and gaining your attention. "And Tyler, well he is quite the step up from Cole."

"Yeah," you laughed, smiling at her. "He really is." As your eyes skimmed her face, your heart and brain prepared you for the 'but' that you knew was coming.

"Tyler's just..." Your mom shook her head, sighing again. "He's a little too old for you, don't you think?" She must have seen the look on your face when those words left her mouth because she held onto your arms and looked worried.

"I'm only saying that because well, the two of you are in very different stages of your lives. He's almost 28 and he's been in the adult world long enough to find out who he is and what he wants for his life. And you...you're barely 22, about to graduate college and experience the real adult world for the first time. You still need to find out who you are and what you want."

You understood what she meant and took her fear into account because if you were being honest...she had a point. Besides the summertime, you were in school for 9 months out of the year, living to a strict class schedule and figuring out your day to day routine without the fear of bills lingering over your head. You've had your little taste of the adult world, but come May you were about to get smacked in the face with reality...whereas Tyler's already figured out his life.

"Just...be careful, okay? You can have your time and relationship with Tyler, but don't lose yourself in this."

"Thanks, Mom, I love you." You whispered, hugging her close and wishing with everything that she didn't have to go back home tomorrow.

"I love you too sweetie." She pulled away and cupped your face, kissing your forehead. "Now promise me that you won't hide this from your brother forever, okay? It'd be a lot worse for him to find out from someone else rather than hear it straight from the both of you."

You only nodded in reply as the rest of your dinner group walked up, saying their goodbyes before separating to their cars. You lingered your goodbyes with Jenn and Jordie, telling them that you'd see them come Christmas time before hopping in the back of Big Rig's car and burying yourself out of sight. The entire ride back to the dorm, you were playing countless scenarios of how you'd tell Jamie about you and Tyler, hoping that there'd be the magic one that would solve every worry you had.

Only they all ended horribly wrong.

To make matters a little more stressful, when you got to your room, Kennedy had asked if she and Big Rig could have some private time alone. You agreed because at least one of you was going to get laid after that stressful dinner. So you did what you always did, packed an overnight bag and sent Tyler a text, wondering if he'd mind some company.

Of course, be there soon! 😁 All of your boys miss you (me included if you weren't aware)

Oh also, pack a bathing suit 😏

You quickly shoved your hottest bikini into your overnight bag and wished the two lovers goodnight, not failing to remind them to stay safe because you were too young to become an aunt again. They laughed you out of your dorm room and you raced down the stairs and out towards the parking lot where you knew Tyler would be waiting.

When his headlights shined on you, you felt a little burst of happiness rush through your veins as you climbed up into his jeep and immediately greeted him with a kiss before he could even say a word. "Wow, not that I'm complaining but...what was that for?" He laughed, waiting for you to put your seatbelt on before driving away.

"For saving me from having to wait hours before I could sleep in my sinful dorm room."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Wow, sinful dorm room? Is it that bad?"

"Tyler...we barely got two steps into the room before she straight up said 'I need to get laid, can I have the room?'" You joined in with his contagious laughter. "They're lucky I love them so much."

"Well, I for one am grateful for their horny actions," he reached and grabbed your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours and bringing your hands up to his mouth, kissing the back of yours. "Because now I get to spend the night with you and show you my surprise."

"Does it have anything to do with me needing to pack a bathing suit?"

He wiggled his eyebrows and kissed your hand again. "It has everything to do with a bathing suit. Speaking of," he let your hands rest on the center console. "Did you pack the...what did Kennedy call it? The raunchy red bikini?"

"Shut up, that was so embarrassing!" You leaned over and smacked his shoulder with your free hand as you felt your cheeks warm up. "And for your information...yes, yes I did. But if you keep teasing me, you won't get to see it."

Tyler coughed, this time trying his best to hide the fact that he was getting a little bashful. "There are two ways I could take that statement...and I'm not sure which one you meant."

God the two of you were practically downing in the awkward, sexual tension that surrounded you. You knew which two ways he was speaking of, too– either you don't do whatever activity involved your bathing suit, or you go full-on nude during whatever activity. And in all honesty, the thought of being naked with Tyler has been lingering in the back of your mind since the weekend when Kennedy asked if the two of you had had sex yet. 

Plus, let's be honest...you've seen his ESPN body issue shoot...and seeing him naked wasn't the worst thing in the world.

When you guys got to his house, you greeted the dogs before he could manage to usher them all away from you. He handed you your bag and kissed your cheek before nodding at you to go upstairs. "Go ahead and drop your stuff off and get dressed, then meet me outside."

The chill he sent down your spine lasted well into your trip up the stairs and into his bedroom. You could only wonder what he had planned but made sure to keep your imagination tamed as you stripped off in his bedroom and put on your bathing suit. Which, until Kennedy said so, you didn't perceive as all that raunchy. It was your favorite, simply because its fabric hugged you in all the right places– making you feel like you could take on the world...if you were going to take on the world half-naked. When you left his room and walked back down the stairs and outside, the cool night air greeted you and the light wind blew some of your hair into your face. When you looked out for Tyler, you heard mumblings of music and saw lights stationed around the jacuzzi.

Holy shit, he put fucking candles around his jacuzzi and had music playing nearby? Cheesy? Everyone else would think so. But the fact that you had just broken up with a boyfriend who never really did anything like this for you...it was cute and romantic. It got better when you walked closer to the jacuzzi to see that the little candles were electronic and you couldn't help but laugh.

"I know, I know, it looks stupid, but the wind and fire hazard," Tyler said, keeping his back to you, across the way in the jacuzzi as he adjusted the volume on the Bluetooth speaker– before turning your way and smiling. "But its the thought that counts, right?"

"Tyler, what is this?" You laughed, sliding off your shoes at the edge before stepping in.

He walked across and reached out his hand, holding onto yours and making sure you didn't fall in. "You've been studying like crazy lately, plus dealing with us needy assholes almost every day...so I decided that you need to relax."

You had to admit, the moment that your body was engulfed by the hot water and jets– you were relaxed. It felt like if Tyler wasn't holding on to your hand, you'd probably slipped under and let the water swallow you up. You never realized just how tired your body was. You sat across from him, extending your legs out and letting them float as you closed your eyes and felt the jets against your back. "Is this what you do after every game? Come here and forget your troubles?"

"Usually," he laughed, moving his arms in the water. "Though sometimes I'll take an icebath upstairs or when you're here, I just kind of chill out. It all depends on how much energy I have left."

You sighed, letting the feeling of the water take over your mind as you laid there listening to what seemed like a top 50 hits playlist. "I wish I had one of these in my dorm room. God, I think I'd go from the library to my bathroom and never leave. Studying is stupid, don't ever do it. It's hard to believe finals are only–"

"Ah, ah, ah!" He said, interrupting you and reaching out for your leg, tugging you out of your relaxed state. "No school talk. This is why we got into the jacuzzi, now come here."

You sat up and walked over to where he was. He grabbed onto your shoulders, turned you around and placed you in front of him in the space between his legs. "Loosen up and relax, Y/N. I'm not going to drown you."

You took a deep breath and sighed, closing your eyes and anticipating what he was going to do. When you felt his calloused hands on your shoulders, you stayed relaxed. Only when he started to add pressure with his thumbs did you realize what he was doing. "Okay wow, did you go to massage school or something?"

He laughed, moving towards the center of your neck. "No, but I've had enough done that I remember a few things."

You felt his breath along the back of your neck as he continued to apply pressure with his hands and dig into your shoulders with his thumbs. It felt good, really good and you had to bit down on your lip to prevent a moan from coming out of your mouth. It was one thing that Tyler was giving you a candlelit massage in his jacuzzi, but it was another thing for you to moan out just how good he was doing. Your mind wandered down the road of no return as his hands kept doing the Lord's work. You couldn't help but wonder how his hands would feel if they were touching and massaging other parts of you and how bad you wished that they would just linger a little bit lower than their current  location.

"See, now isn't this better than talking about school?"

You were too lost in your daydream until you heard the moan you'd been holding back, escape from the back of your throat. You felt embarrassed because the moment you let it happen, Tyler had paused his hand movements for only a second, before picking them back up. You sat there, biting the inside of your cheek and focusing on how fast your heart was racing against your chest.

Should you do it?

What would he do if you did?

"Fuck it," you whispered, stepping out from under Tyler's hands and turning to face him.

"What?" He laughed, "Did I suck that bad?"

You didn't say anything as you moved closer to him and crawled onto his lap. You felt his quads tighten and watched as his eyes went wide, almost as if he was too afraid to move because he was too focused on what you were doing. You were nervous as hell, never really one to make big moves like this, but you were tired of just dancing in circles with Tyler and more than anything, you were hoping that taking the leap on this one...wouldn't bite you in the ass.

You wrapped your arms around his neck before leaning in and pressing your lips solidly against his. It was like the first time he kissed you, nothing crazy, just a kiss. And when he didn't kiss you back, you felt yourself begin to get swallowed up by a hole on embarrassment. No sooner than you went to pull away, Tyler grabbed your lower back and pulled you further onto his lap, groaning quietly before kissing you again. This time his mouth moved with your own, setting the pace that you were more than pleased to follow. You were the first to tease, dragging your tongue slowly across his bottom lip before he took it up a level and teased your tongue with his own. Your fingers looped around the back of his head, tangling themselves in his curls, just as he brought one of his hands down to your hip and tugs you against him once more.

Goosebumps erupted over your entire body the moment his hands started to wander across your skin. One stayed beneath the water, constantly guiding you across his lap as the other wandered across your belly before landing on the side of one of your breasts, his thumb rubbing over the front of your top. It was like he had well-timed the entire ordeal, because the moment you moaned at the sensation coming from beneath your top, Tyler stuck his tongue back into your mouth before biting down softly on your bottom lip. When you went to kiss him again, you untangled your fingers from his curls and untying the back of your bathing suit, taking the material and blindly tossing it aside before pressing your bare chest against Tyler and kissing him harder.

You were desperate to get him to understand just how badly you wanted him and when you could feel all of him brushing against your inner thigh, you sped up your movements, rolling your hips against him as he held onto your hips tightly. "Oh Fuck Y/N," he groaned, letting his head fall away from you.

You took the opportunity to reach your hands down into the water and grab onto his swim trunks, searching for the tied strings. You started to feel embarrassed at how you couldn't find them until you felt Tyler stir and you looked up to see him staring blatantly at your chest– reaching for a breast and cupping it. "You weren't wrong," he looked up at you with his childlike smile cupping the other breast and massaging them both. "Your boobs are pretty great."

You laughed before leaning in and kissing him, running your hands down his stomach and coming to a stop, once again at the waistband on his swim trunks. "No strings, you just tug em," he pulled back and reached his hands beneath the water, shifting as you felt the fabric of his swim trunks brush against your bottom. "It's easy science."

You rolled your eyes as he brought you back into his chest and you let your hands continue their journey down his body. To your, happy, surprise, the waistband of his swim trunks was no longer blocking your way. He kissed down your neck as you felt his hands wander down to your bottoms, twirling with the strings on either side of your hips. "Yes," you breathed out before he could even ask the question, even nodding your head in case he wouldn't get the signal.

His tugs on the strings of your bottoms were in synch and you felt him pull the fabric away from your body, leaving you vulnerable and naked beneath the water and on his lap. His hands traveled down to your butt as he tugged you closer against him, to the point where you could feel his cock resting between the both of you.

As he continued his assault on your neck, one bite caused you to moan loudly and he pulled away with wide eyes and a smile. "Not going to lie, that was kind of hot, and I’m definitely a big fan of the red raunchy bikini..."

You smiled, before the reality of your situation set in and you looked down at the water. The adrenaline was running through your veins, making you feel on top of the world– this was it. You and Tyler were going to finally have sex.

"I-I've never done this before," you blurted out, swallowing the small nervous knot in your throat.

Tyler stopped kissing down your chest and pulled back, looking at you. The look on his face could only be described as one that was worrisome as his hands cradled your lower back. "I thought...I mean...you and Cole never..."

"Oh no! No, no, no, we did!" Only then did you realize what your statement had made him think and you wanted to do nothing more than drown yourself in the jacuzzi. "That ship sailed a long time ago, like a lonnnng time ago. Junior winter formal, Jack Makenzie at Jamie's cabin– post formal party. Though, don't tell him that because I kind of lied and said it would be only girls, but it was actually–"

Tyler leaned forward and kissed you softly, a hand coming up to the left side of your face and cradling it. When he pulled away, his thumb was rubbing along your cheekbone. "Relax, Y/N, it's just me. If you don't want to do this, we don't have to. We can cuddle in bed and fall asleep."

"No, I want to do this, I want this..." You leaned into his touch, closing your eyes only for a moment before looking back at him. "I want you, I just...I've never done it in a hot tub before so..."

Tyler tried so hard to hide his dire want to laugh, but as always, he failed and burst out into laughter. He kissed you once, twice and pressed his head against yours. "You're such a dork, you know that? And I love that about you."

Your heart fluttered when he said it, and while you know that he probably didn't mean the big L...it still felt the same. You pressed yourself against him and kissed him until you were out of breath. When you pulled away, you kept your forehead pressed against his as the both of you tried to catch your breath.

It should be noted that hooking up in a jacuzzi, will leave you just as breathless as the hooking up itself– and you were going to be sure to mention that to Kennedy as a lesson learned.

Tyler's hands traveled up your sides, resting on your ribs before you looked at him. His eyes were staring into yours as if he was trying to find any hint of regret– that you weren't choosing to do this because it was a spur of the moment thing. You nodded before breathing out a breathless 'yes' and his hands traveled back down to your waist and beneath the water.

You were waiting for the touch of his you'd been longing for and when it'd yet to come you looked at him to see he has a sheepish smile on his face. "Do you want to uh..." his eyes traveled to the water, "I just don't want to um...I want it to be comfortable for you and you can set it at your own pace and–"

This time, you cut him off with a kiss before laughing and nodding your head. You took a short, but deep breath as a way to calm yourself before dipping your hand beneath the water and finding Tyler's wrist. You followed it to his hand, lingering your touch against his fingers before grasping his cock in your hand. He coughed to cover up his groan at your added touch but kept his eyes on you as you positioned yourself over him.

The both of you took sharp inhales of breath as you suck down onto him, one hand grasping onto his chest as you felt your head fall back slightly in relief. You took your time, taking him in and admiring the slight burn of him stretching you out. You needed to go slow, it's been months since you've had sex and Tyler was considerably thicker and longer than Cole.

"Y/N..." He whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear and kissing your neck. "You need to breathe, babe."

"Sorry, it's just...it's been a while and you're so..." His hips tugged you down softly the last few inches and you moaned, falling into his chest. "Oh fuck."

You stayed pressed against his chest, focusing on breathing as he told you too– all in the while, he was stilled within you, rubbing your sides and switching between kissing your neck and your shoulder blades. As soon as he turned his face into the crook of your neck, you relaxed and pulled back nodding your head. "You ready? Can I move?"

"Yeah," you leaned in and kissed him hard, a clash of teeth and lips before moving to his neck and nipping just below his jaw. "Go ahead."

He thrust his hips up, pushing himself further into you and hitting a spot that made your legs feel like jello. When you felt him smirk against your neck, you laughed to yourself and knew that it was game on. You weren't one to toot your own horn, but little did Tyler know, this position was your expertise. You always had Cole melted like putty in your hands whenever you topped him and unfortunately...or fortunately for Tyler, he was about to find out.

You raised your hips and circled them before sinking back down again, grinding down onto him hard. "Oh fuck that..." his head fell back as his grip on your waist loosened, giving you more control. "That feels so fucking good."

You grinned to yourself as you placed your hands on his shoulders, pushing him against the wall of the jacuzzi, earning wide eyes and a smirk from Tyler. "Oh, shit Y/N...are you trying to dominate me?"

Your only reply was a flirty grin and your hips grinding down against him harder before clenching down onto him, causing him to choke on the breath he'd been holding. As you quicken your pace, Tyler started to meet you halfway but keeping his focus on his hands massaging your breasts.

"Tyler...fuck." You moaned, pressing your face into the crook of his neck and focusing on how good he was making you feel...until a jingling sound tore you away. "Did you hear that?"

"Huh? What?" He mumbled, thrusting his hips up again, completely enamored in you to even pay attention.

You heard more jingling, this time your eyes focusing on the house. You grabbed Tyler's face and turned his head towards the backdoor. "It's coming from over there...wait..is that?"

"Oh no, you've got to be kidding me," He groaned, stilling inside you and bringing you closer to his chest as the two of you watched the three figures get closer. "No! Go, bad boys!"

The three furry Seguins came running up to the two of you, tails wagging and tongues out. Gerry attacked Tyler's face with kisses as Cash and Marshall tried their best to get to you. Tyler wrapped one arm around your waist, pulling you into him as he shooed the dogs away with the other. "Go away, you're ruining it!"

You laughed, pulling your face out of his chest before patting it. "I don't think they're going away any time soon."

He looked at you, pouting before groaning. "I just got cockblocked by my own dogs, man's best friend my ass."

"Who said we were done?" You replied, climbing off of his lap.

He raised his eyebrows and let his eyes linger on you before he tugged up his swim trunks and climbed out of the jacuzzi. He picked up a towel and unfolded it, holding it up for you.

You stepped out of the jacuzzi, easily feeling his gaze linger on you before stepping towards the towel and letting him wrap you up in it.

He picked up his towel, wrapping it around his waist and touching your elbow. "Meet me in our room while I go deal with these," he turned his attention towards the dogs, who were all sitting down and staring at you both with big smiles. "Very bad boys."

You watched as he walked the dogs back into the house and took that time to not only collect your bathing suit but to turn off all of the lights and grab the Bluetooth speaker. As you made your way into the house, you couldn't wrap your mind about what just happened. Every time you tried to, the result was always the same:

Holy shit, you just had sex with Tyler.

And the butterflies haven't left your body at the way he called his bedroom, your bedroom or how slow and gentle he had been with you. It's only been a few moments since the dogs interrupted you, but you swore that you could still feel his touch and you were more than positive that you'd never forget the way he felt. When you got to the bedroom, you walked into the bathroom and laid your bathing suit over the tub before placing the speaker onto the counter and walking back into the room.

Now it felt like a waiting game and you could feel your nerves start to return– mainly in the fear of, what if he doesn't want to continue? You were beginning to pace around the room, clinging to your towel before you saw it– his jersey. The jersey he let you wear on Halloween, the one Jamie said he was waiting to get boxed up in a shadow box. You smiled, dropping your towel and walking over to the jersey, picking it up and letting it fall down your body. As you heard his footsteps coming up the stairs, you quickly walked back over to the bed, standing at the end of it and kicked the towel away.

"I don't know how the hell they even got out! I could've sworn that I left them in the–" He stopped in the doorway, his eyes glued to you in his jersey and you could tell that he was seconds away from drooling.

"So?" You smiled, raising an eyebrow as he made his way over to you.

"I wanted to have you the first time I saw you in the jersey," he smiled, making his way over to you. "With nothing but spandex, heels, and those cute bunny ears."

"Aw shucks," you pouted jokingly, "no bunny ears."

His hands traveled up the bottom of the jersey and ran across your bare skin, coming to a stop on your hips. "I like this outfit much, much better."

You wrapped your arms around his neck, smiling up at him. "Even without the ears?"

"Hell yeah," he replied, pulling you into him and kissing your cheek, moving down to your neck. "But I can always go and buy another pair."

"No need," you grinned as he playfully nipped your neck and you pushed him away. "Well, I think we've got too many clothes on, Seguin. What about you?"

"I think we can fix that," he replied and you watched as his childlike grin took over his face before he pounced on you, playfully tackling you onto his bed and sending you both into a giggle fit.

❒❒❒❒

When you woke up the next morning, the two of you were intertwined in mess of limbs and bedsheets. He had his face smashed into his pillow and he was drooling a little bit, add in his slight snoring and you knew that he was still sleeping hard. And you couldn't blame him, because last night was the most physical activity you had in a long time and if it wasn't for your immediate need to pee, you'd still be sleeping too. You snuck out from beneath his arm and he immediately stirred away, glaring at you with sleepy eyes. "No, come back."

"We have to get up, Ty," you groaned as he pulled you back into him. "We have to be at the arena in an hour for morning skate and we both need to shower."

His eyes shot open and he smiled at you. "Shower sex?"

"If you get up now, then–"

He practically jumped on top of you and kissed you before rolling off and running into the bathroom, stark ass naked. "I've got the water, you bring yourself and we're all set!"

"You're insatiable, Tyler!" You laughed, leaning up on your elbows and looking into the bathroom.

He peeked out from around the corner, still with a smile on his face. "I don't know what that means, but it sounds kind of hot so thank you." He disappeared back around the corner, the shower door opening. "Now get your cute ass in here so I can wash your hair."

Your time in the shower cut your 'get ready' time short, but Tyler made up for it by practically speeding to the arena. Luckily for Tyler, the morning skate wasn't going to be a normal practice, seeing as the Stars flew out to Nashville later that afternoon. When the two of you got out of the car, you told Tyler to walk ahead of you and that you'd wait for Big Rig, that way it wasn't suspicious of you to arrive with him rather than Tyler. When Tyler went to leave, Big Rig pulled up and you waved him down. You were leaning against Tyler's car when Big Rig walked up to you, adjusting the duffle bag on his shoulder. He stopped in front of you and took in your appearance before getting the biggest grin on his face.

"What's your problem, Teddy Bear?" You asked, looking back down at your phone to reply to a text from Kennedy.

"Oh yeah, you so got laid." He picked at a wet piece of your hair and smirked. "Last night and maybe some shower sex this morning I assume?"

You almost dropped your phone with how straightforward...and quite frankly correct, he was. "Don't say it so loud, you ass!" You smacked his stomach and he just laughed. "But how do you know?"

"You've got that post-sex glow," he waved his hand at you as the two of you made your way into the building. "Plus your RBF isn't as bad this morning like it always is."

"Oh shut up," You said, bumping into him as he kept laughing. "Don't think I don't know about your post-sex routine."

He gasped, looking at you with wide eyes. "She told you about that?"

You smirked and patted his chest. "We're best friends, Teddy Bear. I know everything." You eyed him up and down before patting him on the chest again and walked ahead of him.

"Wait! What do you mean everything! What did she say?"

You kept mum all while trying not to laugh as he kept begging you to spill the details on what you knew, your entire journey to the training room. And just when you were about to tell him, Jamie came jogging down the hall. "Y/N! I need you to grab my foam roller from the car, pretty please?"

"There's like five foam rollers in the room, why do you need yours?"

"Because everyone's using one and I forgot to bring it inside with me and my hamstrings are dying," he tossed you his car keys. "I'll tell Dave you're there, please!" You groaned, but ultimately agreed to go to his car and he smiled. "You're the best little sister ever!"

You turned to walk down the hallway, giving him a deadpan stare. "I'm your only little sister."

"Fine. Best sister!"

"I'm telling Jenn!"

He and Big Rig ignored your comeback and continued their way to the locker room as you made your way back out to the parking lot. On the bright side, this little detour gave you a little more time to yourself to absorb everything that happened last night, without having to do so in a room full of hockey players. Your busy night replayed in your mind and you pushed back the blush that so desperately wanted to make an appearance on your face. One thing that you couldn't help but wonder, is whether or not last night with Tyler and everything you guys did meant you were official on some kind of level.

"Nope, don't do that," you shut Jamie's car door, tucking his foam roller under your arm as you shook your head at yourself. "Don't be that girl who falls in love with a guy the moment you have sex."

Though to be fair, it was some pretty great sex. The best you've ever had and it only made sense as to how Tyler maintained to get so many girls throughout the years and kept them coming back. When you reached the training room, you stood outside of the door for only a few moments and composed yourself before opening it and walking inside.

You were immediately greeted with wild laughter and chirps being thrown left and right, the focus mainly being on Big Rig. "What's going on?" You asked, tossing Jamie his foam roller and walking over to your designated desk to grab the bands for Big Rig's stretching.

Dickinson smiled, wiggling his eyebrows in Big Rig's direction. "Oh nothing, just asking Big Rig how his trip to the zoo was."

"The zoo?" You came to a stop in front of Big Rig, handing him one end of the band. "When the hell did you go to the zoo?"

Big Rig looks at you before tugging onto the band and starting his stretches, trying his damndest to hide his blushing. "Not the literal zoo, Y/N," Pavs chimed in from across the room. "We're just pointing out how it looks like he jumped into an animal cage and got bit quite a few times."

You were confused as hell as you looked around the room to see everybody still laughing at Big Rig. When you turned your attention to him, your eyes widened the moment they landed on his neck. He had been wearing a sweatshirt beforehand, hiding the purple bruises that traveled below the shirt collar. "Holy fuck, what did she do to you?"

The boys' laughter roared again before fading as Big Rig finally looked at you with a groan. "She just wanted to celebrate the win." He tossed his towel at Rads and Dickinson. "At least I'm getting good sex, assholes."

You cringed, hitting him on the shoulder before moving towards your desk. "Please don't talk about that."

"I thought you already knew everything?" He replied, obviously mocking you.

"Yeah, but I don't need to hear YOU talk about it to your teammates, including my brother," you shuddered, shaking your head at the thought. "Ew."

"Hey Y/N, can you grab me two ibuprofen?" Jamie asked, raising his arm into the air.

You nodded and turned your attention over to the medicine cabinet, your back to the now relaxed and chattering group of men. The door opened again, followed by a whistle. "Looks like Big Rig wasn't the only one who found himself in bed with an animal, boys."

You rolled your eyes at Rad's comment, trying your best to mute out the guy talk as your eyes skimmed the shelves for the ibuprofen. "Jesus Seggy, did you and Big Rig take trips to the zoo together?" Miro chimed in, probably still a little confused at the metaphor.

"What the fuck are you on about, Miro?" Tyler asked, moving about the training room.

"Ha, got ya!" You smiled, reaching into the back of the cabinet and grabbing the bottle. You kept your focus on opening the bottle as you closed the cabinet and turned back to face the room.

"I'm talking about the sex scratches all over your back. It looks like you bedded a fucking leopard!" Dickinson laughed. You looked upon instinct to see him tugging on Tyler's shoulders and eventually forcing him to have his back faced to the room.

The moment your eyes landed on his muscled back, your body froze and the bottle of ibuprofen fell from your hands and onto the floor. Your eyes lingered on the bright red scratches that decorated the entirety of his back– evidence of your night together and just how good Tyler had made you feel.

"Let me see!"

"No, I want to see! Are they that bad?"

You watched, horrified, as his teammates kept tugging him around, trying to get a glimpse of the so-called 'sex scratches', their laughter bouncing off of the walls. Your cheeks were no doubt a deep scarlet color by now and they only got hotter when you saw Jamie bend down and pick up the ibuprofen in front of you. "Jesus Seggy, you're telling me that you didn't know those were there?" He asked, opening the bottle and grabbing two pills before handing it back to you.

"I was uh, a little distracted I guess."

You made quick eye contact with him before tucking your head into your chest and turning away, trying to prevent yourself from any more humiliation. You kept your back to the rest of the boys, looking up only for a moment to see Big Rig looking at you with a smirk. As you walked by him, you reached out and pinched his inner thigh hard, quickly rushing by him and going to the cabinet.

"Let me guess the number for the o-scale...three for four?" Pavs called out, silencing the roaring laughter.

"No fucking way, I say one and done. He's getting too old.." Dickinson chimed in, elbowing Tyler. "There's no way he can hang on that long."

You bit your tongue as an effort to prevent yourself from saying just how many times Tyler had made you cum last night, instead, choosing to focus on helping Big Rig continue his stretching– though it wasn't needed. "Yeah Seggy, tell us!" Big Rig said, keeping his eyes on you and the smirk on his face. "Three for Three? More than four?"

If looks could kill, Big Rig would be buried in a casket six feet under right now and you made sure that he knew it. You grabbed the elastic around his foot and snapped it back, only making him laugh.

"The gel's over there, Tyler. Grab it for me and I can get out those knots." Craig said, paying no mind to the conversation around him.

Tyler was turning red and rubbing the back of his neck in an effort to try and hold them off and you were silently praying that he wouldn't cave into their pressure. "Four for four..." He mumbled and you could feel his gaze scrape over you.

The hollering from the boys around him was deafening as they all congratulated him and patted him on the back. Meanwhile, it was all you could do not to die from embarrassment while dealing with the plaguing smirk coming from Big Rig.

"Damn Seggy," Jamie laughed, patting Tyler on the back like some proud dad. "You've got a real keeper there, don't you? She managed to scratch you up that bad? She must've been doing all the work for you."

Big Rig couldn't hold back his laughter anymore, making a noise that mimicked an elephant as he let go of his side of the band and fell back onto the table, clutching onto his stomach. "Oh my God," he whispered, his face turning beet red.

You were too busy focusing on anything but the nauseous feeling you started to have the moment Jamie unknowingly congratulated Tyler on having sex with you, his younger sister. "Yeah, she is..." Tyler replied.

You kept your focus on the band around Big Rig's foot, constantly tapping his shins in an attempt to try to get him to sit back up. Before he made it known, you could feel Tyler's presence and were sure of it when Big Rig finally sat up, still with a grin on his face. "Well, isn't this a lovely sight? At least I'm not the only one getting chirped."

Tyler laughed and looked at you, seeing that you were extremely embarrassed. In an effort to calm you down, he moved closer to you, pretending like he was asking you a question. "I'm sorry. I forgot they were there and I need to get scraped and I just...came in here without a shirt."

You shrug it off, focusing on Big Rig. "It's fine. Though I'll admit, hearing my brother talk about us having sex is something I never thought I'd experience." He laughed and you looked at him, leaning against the table. "So what do you need?"

"I need a lot of things," he whispered, smiling at you. "A massage like last night, for one." He scoffed when he saw you roll your eyes in reply. "Okay yeah, don't act like my massage last night didn't do something for you."

"Man," Big Rig laughed, shaking his head at the two of you. "These Copeley 206 girls, am I right Seggy?"

You pinched Big Rig again, this time on the inner knee and he flinched away from you as he and Tyler laughed. "Well, he's not lying. I mean have you seen what you and Kennedy have done to us? Ruined our beautiful, athletic bodies with your...sexual marks."

"Yeah, well if Big Rig doesn't stop and you don't stop encouraging him," you turned to Tyler and gave him a sarcastic smile, batting your eyelashes at him. "You'll be getting none of my services from last–"

"A mini towel and some gel!" Tyler blurted out, his smirk falling and his eyes looking panicked. "I just need one of those towels and the gel. Craig said it was over here somewhere with you?"

You furrowed your eyebrows, shaking your head slightly. "What are you–" When you saw Tyler move his eyes to your left, you pretended to look for the stuff he needed and that's when you saw just how close Bishop was standing by your area, doing his band exercises.

You felt yourself begin to panic, but took a quiet, deep breath and exhaled before clearing your throat and bending down beneath the table, grabbing a towel. "I have towels, but the gel is probably with Dave. You must've heard him wrong."

Tyler nodded, taking the towel from you. "Probably, seeing as I didn't get much sleep last night." You saw the mischievous gleam in his eyes before he nodded at Big Rig. "Nice marks, did you cross paths with a squid?"

Before Big Rig could smack him with his free band, Tyler ran off laughing. You kept working with him, adding in new stretches until Bishop finished with his and left the training room. When you reached another point that Big Rig was done with his stretches, he leaned up and put both hands on your shoulders. "You need to breathe Y/N, because you look like you could pass out at any moment."

"I think I'm going to, what if..." You looked around the now, less crowded training room, collecting the bands from him. "What if he heard something? Anything or all of it? I'd be dead! My own brother would probably murder me with his hockey stick..maybe even his skate if he was angry enough."

"You'll be fine, Y/N." Big Rig patted your shoulders before hopping off of the table. "Bish has old man hearing, I doubt he heard anything."

He gave you a reassuring smile and you felt yourself start to relax. He was right, there was no way that Bishop could've heard your entire conversation, and now that you thought about it...he wasn't really all that close to you guys after all. Your gut feeling was wrong this time, you were sure of it.

"Hey Y/N, can you help me real quick? I just need my ankles taped." Miro asked, walking over to your table before hopping up and greeting you with a smile. "Best ankle taper in the game."

You smiled, before walking over to the cabinet and grabbing some pre-wrap and tape. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath, opening them once you exhaled and closed the cabinet.

Everything was going to be fine...perfect, even.

[frumfrumfroo]

What are your favorite movies and TV shows outside of SW? I’m looking for new things to watch since SW was so disappointing

My tastes are pretty eclectic, so I will stick to just things that are either similar to sw or are in the reylo-esque romance wheelhouse and have happy endings:

Chuck. It is a goofy, light-hearted action-adventure show with extremely endearing characters and a very prominent central romance (seriously, heavy romance and there is a lot of payoff for it, you will be FED- it's kind of slow burn but also shockingly NOT slow burn, they are deep into it pretty much immediately). The main couple is the classic Stoic Badass gradually softened by an innocent they have to protect who is a liability in battle but full of the Power of Heart. Chuck is The Heart btw. He is of that vanishingly rare male Beauty (of B&tB) type. He's incredibly generous and open, Sarah is prickly and closed-off. It is Quality. Very much a gender-swap of your typical cliche anime couple lol. I would recommend stopping at the mid-season finale in season 4, because it's downhill from there. The beginning of season 3 is very rough, but it's definitely worth it to stay for the back half, imo. There are several great endings to choose from before things go to shit, so we don't need to talk about the finale. Probably the most tonally similar to SW thing possible without being high/space fantasy. More humour, more silly, but definitely has a spiritual kinship. Has the best THE BEST 'secret revealed' scenes I have ever seen in anything. If you're into that and were hoping for that in ep IX, you need to watch Chuck.

The Shop Around the Corner. 1940 romance/drama film. You've Got Mail is a remake of it. Jimmy Stewart being profoundly adorable, Frank Morgan (aka the Wizard of Oz), various amusing side characters, and an absolutely deathless double blind 'secretly in love with the workplace nemesis' plot that can and probably has been a great reylo AU.

Mirromask. Fantasy/coming-of-age film. Touted as a 'spiritual successor' to Labyrinth by the filmmakers (one of whom is Neil Gaiman) and let me tell you, that is extremely apt. Beautiful, magical, laden with symbolism and Mask Discourse, and has a great ship. I quote it regularly.

Speaking of which, I'm sure you've seen Labyrinth? If you haven't seen Labyrinth, drop everything and watch Labyrinth.

Legend (the Ridley Scott director's cut, not the theatrical cut). Sumptuous fairy tale, runs on proper fairy tale logic, stunning to look at and overall captivating. Tim Curry. Tim Curry as a lonely tragic lord of darkness who tries to seduce the heroine and has drippingly overwrought monologues.

Howl's Moving Castle. Fairy tale adventure/romance film. Beautifully animated, has the ending you want.

The Silence of the Lambs. Thriller/drama film. Actual masterpiece. Use it as a gateway drug to read the books and rejoice that Clannibal is canon and it is spectacular. Just SotL and Hannibal, you don't need to read the other two. Stan Clarice Starling and revel in that ending. Most triumphant 'villain'/heroine ship of all time (he is not technically a villain but for shorthand's sake).

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Terry Gilliam 1988 fantasy/adventure film. THE TRIUMPH OF IDEALISM OVER CYNICS I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW HEALING IT WAS TO WATCH AFTER THE TROS BULLSHIT HIT. Jonathan Pryce's spiritual villain is basically Chris Terrio and it is cathartic to see imagination and sentiment conquer him.

Sabrina. 1995 romance film. Modern fairy tale with Harrison Ford. Rejecting what you thought you wanted all your life for the thing you actually need, growing up but still believing in magic, beautiful character development across all the leads. Could be (and is irrc) a fantastic reylo AU.

The Scarlet Pimpernel. 1934 adventure film. High romance, secret identities, play-acting, people who aren't at all what they appear to be, falling in love with your own spouse, Big Heroism, guile and wit and audacity. It makes me do little kicks like a happy baby. This is one of the 3-5 films constantly tied for my favourite film of all time. There is a good quality rip free on youtube. Watch it and fall in love with Leslie Howard (this is possibly my favourite acting performance of all time).

Oh, related note. Pygmalion 1938 or My Fair Lady. (The musical is based on this film and borrows from it heavily, including its much more romantic ending compared to the original play.)

The Mummy. 1999 action/adventure/romance film. Very tonally similar to sw. A fucking great time, A+ characters.

EVER AFTER. 1998 romance film. The flawless and perfect and best ever Cinderella adaptation. This is the most satisfying film in history, maybe, the ending is so good it is amazing it exists. Also, it has Richard O'Brien being slimy. Huge selling point. Grapples with identity and stewardship, is brilliant.

Fruits Basket. drama/romance anime. I haven't watched the new version yet, but it's following the manga so I know the story. The original anime didn't do the whole plot (because they caught up with the source material) but it's wonderful and I still recommend it. The central ship is (spoiler.........) a B&tB type where we eventually discover the main love interest both feels like a figurative monster and turns into a literal monster. He has an incredible speech about his relationship with people's fear, it makes me weep. I called the endgame from the first episode and always thought it was obvious, but there is a red herring love triangle dynamic. It's really not annoying, though, because it is a red herring. (I hate love triangles)

I am Dragon. Russian monster romance film. Beautiful, simple fable with a really great heroine.

Jane Eyre. 1943 Gothic Romance film. It's Jane Eyre, byronic hero x sensible heroine love story with much atmosphere and Gothic drama. I stan this version because I am an Orson Welles fangirl and I'm also not convinced it can be improved upon. Elizabeth Taylor's film debut btw.

Hellboy. 2004 action/adventure/romance film. Defying destiny, reconciling identity, monster romance. The complete package and a great time. Tonally similar to SW and probably thematically closest to it out of this whole list. Don't watch the sequel.

Beauty and the Beast 1987 tv series. Exactly what it says on the tin. Deals with the classic B&tB themes, but in a different way. He's not cursed and will never transform into an ordinary man. The first season is very episodic and 'case of the week', but the second season gets more into character drama. It's dated, but if you give it a chance you can get past some of the cheese factor and it's really a unique experience. Its concerns are SO atypical that it feels like something fandom would make rather than a mainstream network show. It was so massively, insanely popular with women at the time that a record of Vincent (the beast) reading poetry topped the album charts. Also Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton. Stop at season two. Point of interest: George RR Martin wrote for this show.

Stargate (the movie not the series) sci-fi fantasy about a nerdy guy who accidentally a hero.

Possession. 2009... mystery/supernatural/romance. Okay. This is a whole thing. Lee Pace and Sarah Michelle Gellar. It's based on a Korean film I've never been able to find for some reason, but being Hollywood they ruined the romanticism and nuance of the original in the theatrical cut to make a shitty punative ending. However. If you buy it on dvd and go to the alternate ending (which follows the original story) with around 20 minutes left (scene after Lee Pace's character wakes from a bad dream-go to deleted scenes and select the alternate ending), you will get a very, very interesting character study/thriller/redemption about sincerity within deception, compassion, and a major question about second chances with a positive answer. It's kind of dark and kind of astonishingly idealistic at the same time. The heroine makes a very powerful choice, twice over. It's fascinating. If you're into the conflicted and uncertain period in reylo, the part where he is most ambiguous, and you wanted more of that and much darker shades to it, you might be really into this. Also, it should be noted, there is a MASSIVE height difference and they show it off. The film is flawed (and the seams show on the Hollywood rewrite) but idk, it's fascinating. Shocking to me that they even got to shoot the original ending. It is pretty balls to the wall with its themes on forgiveness.

I would recommend getting into kdramas because there is a wealth of female-gaze tropey amazing content, but always check the ending before getting invested. My all-time fave is the 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, but it's not sw related at all lmao. It has a happy ending with all the elements you'd want, but it's not satisfying in execution, so that's it's major flaw and I find that pretty common with kdramas. One that is maybe more relevant is My Love from Another Star, which has a hero who is a little bit like Ben in personality. The heroine isn't my favourite, though. It does have a decent ending.

Oh yeah- brain fart. Kurosawa films and classic westerns were both very influential on SW. Or you can combine both and watch The Magnificent Seven.

[foolgobi65]

Lois/Clark + travel au + fake dating + “are you sure this is legal?”

again, its kind of a fake marriage and...also again....this is kind of the set up for the fake marriage scenario? i basically used this as an opportunity to write down a bunch of my lois headcanons for a period after superman reveal but before the get together lmao but i hope you still like it!! thank you so much for sending the prompt, i love lois sm and this was i think the first time i’ve really written from her (or actually written out lois and clark lol) so everyone please send feedback re: lois and clark characterizations!!!!

love u to the moon and back!!!!

---

“Clark, what does legal really mean, other than the things our government arbitrarily decided we’re allowed to do?”

Next to her, Clark rolls his eyes and Lois tries not to show the awe that briefly floods her body when she remembers that Superman is Clark is Superman is Clark, which means that when he responds to her quip, it’s not only as Smallville but as Kal-El, who she once named ‘the Man of Tomorrow.’ 

“Nice to see Libertarian Lois make an appearance,” Clark-El quips, and Lois nearly melts. It’s been about a month since what she, agnosto-sympathetic as she’s always been, termed in her own mind as the Revelation. Clark is Superman is Clark, she reminds herself as she always has to, to keep herself from running in as many directions as she can, vainly trying to outrun the fastest man alive. 

Being, maybe. Because he’s not really a man, is he?

Clark, Lois thinks again. Clark Kent from Smallville, Kansas. Son of Martha. Man, man, man. Lois is no fool to think that he could really be anyone else -- Clark, for all that he’s apparently lied to her, couldn’t possibly have lied about this. Superman had always seemed so aloof, so removed from the daily grind of humanity’s issues: sure, he’s saved plenty of cats up trees, but Lois had always wondered if he understood why those cats were so beloved, or worse if he saw humanity as the perennial cat constantly stuck up in trees of its own making. But she hadn’t known Superman, really, hadn’t thought she would be able to. 

Not like she’d known Clark. Clark, of the long-form article following the production of a single plaid shirt he’d been wearing on Monday during the week’s pitch meeting. Clark, who was always falling into step right next to Lois no matter where she was, or who she was up against, his heart the only one that burned like Lois when confronted with the nastiness of the world. 

Clark, who Lois has always considered the most human man she ever met. Clark who is somehow biologically, the least human man in the universe.

“Lois?” Clark’s voice is just slightly strained as if he can hear the thoughts scurrying round and round Lois’s mind, but no Lois had asked about that during those first few terrifying days when up had seemed like down and she’d felt like the shittiest investigative reporter since Arnab Goswami. Clark couldn’t read minds, not really, he’d said -- he could at most see the neurons firing (and wasn’t that a horrifying thought?) but he hadn’t tried to figure out a pattern. 

“But I don’t watch your neurons,” he’d said with what then-Lois had recognized as a hint of human-Clark, who she later realized was just-Clark’s shit-eating grin. “Your mind makes me dizzy enough when I’m just observing from the outside. Can’t imagine what would happen if I was trying to follow your thought process in real-time.” 

Now-Lois shakes her head slightly, unattractive like a wet dog. “Sure it’s illegal to impersonate a pair of massage therapists, but you’re an extraterrestrial traveler, Clark. Do the mighty dictums of the United States really mean that much to you?” 

She knows almost as soon as the last half of the sentence leaves her lips that it’s the wrong thing to say. Clark’s from Kansas, just like he always said. He was raised in Kansas, with Kansas values whatever the hell that means. Christ, she thinks, she’s never been so insensitive to an adoptee in her life. 

A month ago, Clark’s face might have crumpled. Two weeks ago, he might have thrown Lois’s insensitivity right back in her face. Today, though, his eyes only go wide for a second, right before Lois sees them glint with what she can only label as sheer Clarkness. It’s a near cousin of his shit-eating grin, that’s for sure, and if it makes her heart race with a little anticipation that between her, the universe and, if he’s listening, Sup--

Shit. 

But maybe Clark isn’t listening, too focused on what he’s about to say, because he plows on despite her heart rate. “Lois,” he drawls, “I don’t ignore the dictates of the United States because I'm an alien.”  

Oh for fuckssake. “Clark now is not the time to crib off of your much cooler mom’s actual anarchist credentials. You can talk as much theory as you want, but you were the one who just asked if we should continue our pursuit of justice based on legality.” 

Clark scoffs. “Perry suspended us for two weeks, and on day two you called me up and asked if I wanted to go on a vacation.” 

Sometimes, Clark’s whole Clark-shtick makes it so that Lois can’t tell if he’s actually hurt, or if he’s just fucking with her emotions, the ones everyone told him she’d long shot dead and buried behind the house, for his own amusement. She squints, leaning in a little closer to check for his usual tells, and there! Just at the corner of his lip, a slight twitch, so minuscule that no one but Lois could have found it. 

“You asshole! You were bored too!” Lois crosses her arms. “C’mon, would you really have been happy with a normal cruise, just floating on the ocean and wearing Hawaiian shirts while eating shrimp, no care in the world?” She raises her eyebrows, grinning like she’s trying to sell Clark a tub of Crisco. “Isn’t taking down the Mob just so much more exciting?” 

According to her therapist, Lois was never really in love with Superman. Lois was in love with the idea Superman represented -- a good man, powerful without the corruption she saw infesting those with power every day, a man so far above humanity that he was safe from the trainwreck that was Lois’ interior self. He could never really love her back, so Lois was safe loving him, never had to worry about her job putting him in danger or her tongue slicing him up during an argument until there was nothing left but his torn up suit. 

Clark, though, Clark was very real, her therapist said. Says, though Lois hasn’t been responding to her calls since the Revelation. She doesn’t know how quite to say “hey Doc, remember how we’ve been talking on and on about Clark and Superman, and how I have to ‘give up my illusion of safety in order to take a real leap of faith?’ Well, do I have a doozy for you!”  

But anyway, the point her therapist was making was that Clark actually knows Lois, inside and out. Probably better than Lois knows herself, at this point, and he loves her for it anyway. Because he does love her, Lois knows. Just like Jimmy knows, and Perry, and Lucy, and hell the guy at her corner bodega too who thinks that “that nice plaid-shirt guy you’re seeing, who comes in to buy you a whole dozen maple donuts before he picks you up, he’s gonna pop the question any day now Miss Lane!” 

Clark has loved Lois for a long time but never told her because Lois has spent almost the entirety of their partnership pretending to love Superman, afraid of being judged wanting by the only person in the world who could actually make that judgment in the first place. Clark loves her now, but Lois’ parents loved each other too once, and that relationship ended with her mom being just a little grateful that the cancer was actually going to kill her so that she wouldn’t have to put up with the General anymore. Lois knows that Clark thinks she doesn’t love him, that he thinks her love for Superman died in the fire of knowing that Superman was actually her bumpkin friend Clark, but for once she’s too afraid to report the truth. 

The truth, that all those parts Lois’ mother hated in the General -- his stubbornness, his arrogance, his inability to see anything outside of the scope of his gun -- Mad-Dog Lane has too, probably in equal measure. Clark isn’t her mom, but he too is kind, and gentle. Soft sometimes, in ways that Lois can’t believe he manages when faced with the horrors of humanity twice over. He’s her best friend, her partner, but if they added another step to their weird dance wouldn’t it finally be too much? Clark has parents who love him, makes friends easier than Lois can breathe, but Lois has only Clark. Maybe Perry, but even then who knows -- Clark might get Perry in the divorce since he can actually spell. 

“Hmm?” Lois shakes herself again, finally seeing Clark’s hand wave in front of her face. “Sorry, Clark.” 

He laughs. “It’s fine Lois, I was just saying something you’d probably have liked to hear so it’s probably best that you didn’t.” 

Lois clicks her tongue, rounding on Clark. “Well if it’s that I was right about you being bored after an entire two days off, then I don’t need to hear it. I already know I’m right and that’s good enough for me.” 

Clark rolls his eyes. “One of the precious few times you are, since this idea of yours is all sorts of wrong. Beyond the legal thing, which I will remind you, is a matter of having a massage therapy license that neither of us has and as such, cannot in good faith offer massages as part of our jobs as massage therapists.” Funny that Clark seems to have no comment on the whole “fake marriage” part of Lois’ plan. 

Lois brushes off his concern with what she thinks is aplomb. “See that would have been a problem for the Lois-of-a-month-ago, but today-Lois knows something that you apparently haven’t thought about!” 

“Oh?”

Lois beckons Clark closer, and because he loves her, he humors her by leaning in close. “See,” she whispers into his ear, “Today-Lois knows that her partner Clark has super-vision, and can see all those pesky muscle groupings neither of us knows about. Just talk to me in a language we know but the client doesn’t, and we’ll be all good!” 

Clark chokes. “You want me to...use my powers to aid in our...subterfuge?” 

Lois raises an eyebrow. “Are you seriously telling me that you haven’t used them on a story before?” That would be very Clark-like of him, she supposes, but on the other hand, the Clark she knows would never not use a resource to help break a story. And, just like she thought--

“No,” Clark says, flushing beet red -- I made Superman blush! Lois thinks and tamps down -- “No I have, but just not so....” 

“Planned?” 

“No,” Clark admits, “it was definitely planned.” He laughs softly. “Honestly, I think it’s that no one else has ever planned to use my powers, at least not as Clark.” Superman, of course, helps build millions of homes and launches nuclear waste into space: there’re entire forums where top scientists compete to see which of their ideas Superman can help them fulfill. And here Lois is, asking him to use those same powers so that they can fake being massage therapists to coax out leads from horny couples with connections to the Mob. 

She bites her lip, insecure in only the way Superman and Clark have been able to make her feel. Just figures that they were the same person the whole time. “Is..,” Lois swallows, “Is that ok? That I planned it?” Her eyes widen, sudden panic suffusing her body. “Ohmygod Clark, I don’t want you to feel like I’m taking advantage of you, or anything, I mean I definitely think your powers are cool but I love you for your mind first and fore--” 

Everything inside and out of Lois’s brain shuts off. Did she just--

Clark’s jaw drops, wild hope Lois doesn’t even think he realizes creeping into the corners of his eyes. “Did you just--” 

“I..” Lois’ brain is now entirely composed of those moments when your CD skips, no words, no feelings, just skips. 

And then, like the greatest gift and curse the Universe could possibly bestow at once, the Cruise Director’s door opens. “Hello,” she says, glancing down at the names on her clipboard and doing a double-take. “Bumpo and Geraldine McTungus?” 

[cryoculus]

uhh SURPRISE I was the one who requested for headcanons and/or scenarios for kuroo with a fem reader who can fight 💦💦 she rlly knows how to kick ass, tomboyish and no one rlly knows her at school. Bonus if she saves kuroo's dumbass from getting mugged!! (sooo sorry about requesting when the ask box was closed, I was embarrassed lol)

» Word Count: 3,623 words

Ily HERE IT IS Im so sorry it took so long (and i didn’t even proofread it because i wanted u to read it immediately LMAO) 

“Tetsu-kun, do you have practice later?”

“Tetsu-kun! I made you a bento~”

“Hey, Tetsu-kun, want to go to karaoke later?”  

“Ladies, please, there’s enough of me for everyone,” Kuroo reminded his gathering population of admirers, beads of sweat trickling down the side of his face. These girls were becoming more and more hostile towards each other everyday. How the hell did Oikawa deal with this kind of thing on a daily basis?

One of the girls, her name was Ame if he could remember correctly, linked her arm into his. “I’m the one who first talked to Tetsu-kun when we were first years.”

Uh, no. She definitely wasn’t the first person that struck him up in conversation during his first day in Nekoma. But he thought it would be rude to correct her in front of the other girls, so he just flashed her an awkward smile.

Another one, Emiko, huffed while crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, Tetsu-kun said my bento arranging skills were like his mother’s!”

Yeah, that’s because his mother absolutely sucked at the art of assembling a cute bento. Emiko made nice rice balls though, he’d give her that.

The last of the party, Tsukino, grabbed his other arm, squeezing his biceps a little too tightly for his liking. “Sucks for the two of you then! Tetsu-kun always walks me home~”

Ame and Emiko gasped at the revelation, eyes narrowing at Kuroo.

Okay, he didn’t have a comeback for that. But the only reason he walked Tsukino home when he had time to spare was because the girl latched onto him like a leech when she found out Kuroo lived in the same block as her.

His conscience would maul him for the rest of his life if something happened to Tsukino if he bailed out on walking her home. Thus, the unwanted interactions with her parents whenever they see him at their doorstep.

“God, can’t you idiots continue your polyamorous love quarrel somewhere else?” a shrill voice grated at his ears.

When his eyes fell on the person who obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, he came face-to-face with you, his classmate with the most muted presence out the students of 3-5.

Your schoolbag hung loosely across your shoulder and your uniform blazer was clutched in your free hand. There were prominent creases on your uniform that made him wonder if you even bothered ironing them before leaving. Probably not. But what made everyone give you a second glance whenever they passed you in the halls of Nekoma was your hair.

There weren’t any strict rules regarding hair grooming being imposed at school, given that Yamamoto and Kenma could dye their hair and style it as they pleased. So, it should only be normal to come across a girl with an undercut.

Kuroo thought the look was pretty badass, but he never really mustered enough courage to talk to you when it wasn’t necessary. He had a feeling that you didn’t have time for menial things like small talk and that, should he attempt to do so, you’d snap his neck before he could say hello.

One time, he asked Yaku about you. The libero had informed him that you’ve been enrolled in Nekoma since junior high, but didn’t really interact with anyone outside of schoolwork and your own irritation. Like you were now.

You sighed, rolling your eyes. “Could you please move out of the way? I’m trying to get into our classroom, thanks.”

Intimidated, the three girls that badgered him cleared a way for you to enter the room. He only noticed it now but they really were crowding the cramped hallways.

When first period began, Kuroo tried to listen to what his Japanese Lit teacher was preaching about sixteenth century literature. He really did, but he was immensely distracted by the pattern razored into your undercut.

You were a few seats in the front to his right, but he could see them clearly—three bolts of lightning beginning at the nape of your neck, which rose about a good four inches until it disappeared in the undergrowth of your hair. He always thought that he liked girls with long hair better, but this was putting an entirely different spell on him.

It was peculiar. You’ve had this hairstyle for a good while now, but he’s only noticed the intricate details that adorned it now. He wondered who your stylist was and how he managed to make that undercut look so good on you.

His teacher eventually called him out for his not-so-subtle daydreaming and made him recite today’s reading in front of the entire class. It wasn’t a big deal to him, really. Kuroo was used to multiple pairs of eyes trained on his every move.

But he wasn’t used to seeing you snort at one of his mispronunciations at the corner of his eye. Usually, you wouldn’t react to anything unless it pissed you off. Did his reading aloud piss you off? Did you care enough about him to garner such a reaction from you? He nearly laughed to himself.

Highly unlikely.

“Kuro.”

Kuroo was about to change out of his sweaty shirt, but upon hearing Kenma using that tone on him, he turned around, brow quirked in wonder.

“Yeah?”

His younger friend gave him an indifferent look. “You’re distracted.”

Would Kenma be fooled if he said otherwise? He shook his head. Of course he wouldn’t. Nothing got past his arbitrary gaze, after all.

It’s been nearly a week since you brushed past him in the hallway, muttering some colourful vocabulary under your breath because of his ‘polyamorous love quarrel’. There hasn’t been any real interaction between the two of you, but at one point, Kuroo would just find his thoughts drifting back to your flat-eyed gaze and unconventional hair do. It happened so often that even Kenma started to notice his focus drifting off to the hinterlands of his mind.

“How so?” Kuroo asked his friend, peeling off the t-shirt that stuck to his body like a second skin. He may be distracted but he definitely burned enough calories for a day.

Kenma let out an exasperated noise. Hearing the setter’s vexation, Lev peeked his head from the door of his locker.

“You got hit in the face with a volleyball twice, Kuroo-san,” the younger boy supplied, “that’s twice than usual.”

“Lev, you can’t multiply two to zero. It becomes zero,” Yaku retorted as he emerged from the shower rooms, towelling his damp hair with an unamused look on his face.

“What, really?”

“This is new information to you?”

The two of them continued to argue about their own mathematical rules while Kuroo managed to stuff his training clothes in a gym bag. He could still feel Kenma’s eyes boring holes into his back.

“I’m all right, Kenma,” he reassured. “I’m just feeling a little under the weather is all.”

The setter narrowed his eyes.

“Liar.”

Ah, there really was no escape when he’s best friends with a goddamn Nancy Drew, was there?

“That’ll be a hundred-fifty yen.”

Kuroo dug a couple of one hundred yen coins from the pocket of his jacket and placed his payment on the counter. The young man running the cashier took his payment and the yakisoba bread in his hands. He stuffed the snack in the microwave to heat and gave Kuroo his change back.

He thanked the guy in a subtle voice, leaning against the counter to wait for his food. There weren’t any other people inside the convenience store and Kenma already went ahead to go home. Kuroo thought that his friend was giving him the cold shoulder because he wouldn’t tell him what was up, in his typical Kenma fashion.

The microwave dinged, signaling that his order was ready. The cashier guy sighed before popping the yakisoba bread out of the microwave and putting it in a paper bag. He handed Kuroo his purchase with little to no enthusiasm.

“Thank you very much.” Even his tone was lackadaisical. Not wanting to add on to his irritation towards the retail industry, Kuroo nodded at him once before promptly exiting the store.

The sky had already transitioned into an inky darkness when he set foot into the streets of Nerima. Kuroo frowned. He could’ve sworn the sun was just beginning to set when he went into the convenience store. But considering it’s almost winter, it explained the shorter days.

Kuroo walked down the streets with passive interest as he nibbled on his yakisoba bread. The noodles were a little stale and the sauce too bland for his palate. He had half the mind to go back to the store to get another snack but, seeing that he was already a good three blocks away, he decided against it. He should’ve known how low the bar was set for Japanese convenience store food.

His strides came to a halt when a hunched figure emerged from an alley. It was a man that’s probably only a few years older than him. Considering his height, he was a lot shorter than Kuroo was; he probably only rose up to the middle blocker’s chin. His clothes were tattered, but a thin cloak shielded him from the low temperature. Sunken eyes bore into Kuroo, considerably unnerving him with that stare alone.

“Oi, nii-chan, you got some spare change on ya?” His voice was rough and throaty, like he hasn’t had a drink of water for weeks.

If he recalled correctly, he still had about fifty yen in his pockets when he paid for his food. Kuroo fished what was left of the coins on his person and handed it to the man without much of a fuss. He wasn’t commuting today anyway.

The stranger counted the money in his hand with bony fingers. He eyed Kuroo from head to toe, most likely piecing together where he studied.

“You go to Nekoma, but only have this on ya?” He growled at him. “Ya think this is a joke?”

Kuroo knitted his brows in confusion at his hostility. What was this guy on about? Kuroo was generous to a fault. Giving some food or money to beggars that called his attention on the street was something he did out of his own accord. They might need it more than he did, anyway. But he never really encountered anyone that asked him for money, got it, and was pissed by the amount.

Deciding to not make a big deal out of it, he flashed him a pleading smile. “Sorry. That’s all I’ve got on me right now.”

“If that’s true then why’re you fuckin’ eating in front of me?”

He blinked at him then stared at the half-eaten yakisoba bread in his hand. Was he really going to give him shit because he’s eating? How could he have pre-meditated that some stuck-up guy was going to ask him for some alms and that said stuck-up guy wouldn’t be happy with small amounts? God, this was giving him a headache.

“Look, sir, uh…” His voice trailed off, trying to figure out how to break it to the guy that he was broke, himself, since he already splurged through his weekly allowance even if it was only Wednesday. Damn Bokuto and his yakiniku dates that he couldn’t refuse.

But before he could form a coherent explanation, Kuroo could feel something cold and hard digging into his side. His eyes widened when he realized what it was.

“She’s pretty ain’t she?” The man moved closer to him, pressing the vintage looking pistol further into his right rib. He shielded the gun with his body so passers-by wouldn’t take notice of it. “Stole it off a cop who wasn’t looking. Took me a while to find the bullets though. But she’s locked an’ loaded, nii-chan.”

He stood frozen in the spot, like even the most minimal of movements would make this man’s tethering patience shatter into pieces. Kuroo really didn’t want to be splintered with the shards of his wrath.

Kuroo forced his thumping heart to ease so he could assess the situation clearly. His dad was a police officer. He’s seen authorized people hold guns a handful of times in his life, and could easily tell that this guy didn’t know shit about proper handling.

He couldn’t afford to offset this guy���s temperance when he’s armed. If he was just some lunatic trying to mug him, he would’ve punched him in the face, but the presence of a gun was a different story. The best-case scenario was that he’d manage to talk some sense into the guy and leave unscathed. The worst was that this could end up into a shoot-out that involved other innocent lives just because he was unhappy with Kuroo’s fifty yen. Fantastic.

Noticing that a bunch of on-lookers were casting wary glances in their direction, the man slipped the pistol back into his pocket and slung an arm around Kuroo like he was an old drinking buddy.

“Let’s talk where it’s a bit more private, shall we?” He switched his throaty voice into a more lively tone, patting Kuroo’s shoulder as he led him into the alley from where he came from.

Calm down, buddy. It’s just a weirdo who wants to mug you off money you don’t have. And he has a gun. But calm. Down.

This alley looked like any other run-down crevice in the city. Murky puddles forming at the side of commercial buildings, a dumpster lying untouched by cleanliness for God knows how long, faded graffiti matting the moldy brick walls, and mice scampering into their tiny little holes at the presence of two men invading their territory.

When they reached the far end, Kuroo could hear the rustle of the man’s clothes as he took out the gun.

Calm down.

“I’ma ask you again, nii-chan,” he cautioned, pressing the muzzle against his temple, “you got some spare change on ya?”

He swallowed thickly. “I—”

“Don’t you know it’s not nice to rob unsuspecting teenage boys?”

Shock immediately crossed his face. He only heard that voice at rare occasions, but he’ll never forget the sound of it.

“Hah?” The man turned around to look at you. “Who do ya think you are?”

Kuroo tilted his head to the side; not enough to grab the stranger’s attention but enough to catch a glimpse of you. Arms crossed, you were donned with a brown fur-trimmed jacket that reached past your knees. The fitted black top you wore very much exposed your stomach and showed a great deal of your bosom. Kuroo tried to avoid looking for longer than he had to. Dark green cargo pants were belted across your hips, the pant legs disappearing into a pair of black combat boots. The look complemented your hair even more now.

His lips parted in wonder. This was the first time he saw you out of school and, frankly, he wasn’t disappointed.

“So, are you going to let him go or am I going to have to do it for you?” The boldness in your tone almost made him want to hit his head on the dingy wall. As far as Kuroo knew, he was the one being held at gunpoint, so he’d really appreciate it if you didn’t rile up the guy holding him hostage at the moment.

The man immediately grabbed him by the shoulder and had him face you directly, shoving the mouth of the gun against his head with a little more pressure than he’s comfortable with.

“S-stay back! If ya don’t want me to blow his head off, you’ll get the fuck out’ta here!” His voice was shaky, his original confidence in his plans going down the drain.

You cast him an uninterested stare. “You’re going to do that even if I went on my way, dumbass. Just go ahead. Shoot.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened, teeth clamping down on his cheeks to bite back a shout. Were you insane?

The man made a choked up sound. “You think I won’t actually do it? Are ya fuckin’ testing me?”

“Now, don’t put words in my mouth.” You rolled your eyes. “Shoot him.”

His dad told him that the best way to solve a problem was to take a step back and think about how you’re going to play your cards. But right now, there were no cards for him to bring to the table because this psycho was going to put a goddamn bullet through his skull. He had no time to—

The man pulled the trigger.

But the bullet didn’t come.

Kuroo exhaled in utter relief as the man repeatedly tried to pull the trigger. His eyes then fell on you, shaking your head at his captor’s stupidity.

“You didn’t cock the damn gun, idiot,” you mumbled, coming forward swiftly.

Taking advantage of his bewilderment, you stomped on his bare foot with the hard soles of your boots. The man yelped, releasing his hold on Kuroo, who immediately slipped out of his grasp the moment he sensed that he was presented with a green light.

He watched the scene in front of him unfold with wide eyes. You slid your foot to knock his legs out of balance, effectively swiping him to the ground. When he lost his grip on the gun, you managed to catch it. The man cowered in fear, backing up against the wall to put as much space between the two of you.

You crouched down, probing the man’s chin upward with the barrel of the gun. “I’m in a pretty rotten mood right now, so consider yourself blessed that I didn’t beat you into a coma.”

“P-please spare me,” he sputtered pathetically.

“Isn’t that what I’m already doing?” A sadistic grin played on your lips. “Next time you try to mug someone, make sure you know how to use your weapons. Oh, and make sure I’mnot in the area. I have zero tolerance for pointless violence.”

The man nodded rigorously. When you moved to the side, letting him free, he scrambled to his feet and ran out of the alley without looking back. Remembering you had company, you cast Kuroo an uninterested glance.

He was gaping at you.

“What, no thanks?” you grumbled, rising up to your feet to pocket the gun in your pants.

A dozen questions were racing in his mind, but he couldn’t voice out any of them. Kuroo settled for gawking at you like a madman. Were the last five minutes of his life true? Did you really just save him from getting mugged? Did you really scare that guy shitless without much effort?

You avoided his astonished gaze, cursing. “This is why I hate seeing people from school outside.”

“Who…are you?” Kuroo managed to ask.

His eyes met yours for a split second and he could feel a jolt of electricity skidding down his spine. Your lips turned up into a grin.

“I’m no one. Go home,” you told him off dismissively, immediately pivoting on your heels to make your leave before he could ask any more questions.

However, your retreating form gave Kuroo a sight that surprised him even more in this situation. At the back of your jacket were three thunderbolts that matched the ones in your hair embroidered onto the fabric of your outerwear; the word ‘Kaminari’ was written in elegant hiragana.

Before you could completely make your exit, you stopped in your tracks. Turning around, you regarded Kuroo with an amused look on your face.

“You should be more selective with people you show your kindness to, you know?” you imparted. “The next time someone decides to fuck you over, no one might be there to save you anymore.”

Then, you were gone.

When he finally got home no later than thirty minutes after the chance encounter with you in the alley, his parents were already in the middle of dinner.

“I’m home,” Kuroo announced as he removed his shoes by the doorway.

“Welcome home, Tetsurou,” his mother greeted him with a tender smile. “Come on, eat! You must be starved from training.”

Kuroo nodded, setting his gym bag on the sofa. He greeted his father, who was reading what looked like police report as he spooned a mouthful of karaage in his mouth.

He slid into his seat and offered his prayers before taking a portion of the food his mother had prepared. Her karaage was his absolute favorite. Well, next to her mackerel pike of course.

“Dear, you’re looking a little stressed,” his mother told his father. “Is that a new case?”

Kuroo Toshirou sighed, setting the folder down on the dinner table. “No, it’s a pretty old case. But it’s been revived because the Kaminari faction’s leader just died. The vacancy is stirring up all kinds of gang wars all over Tokyo.”

Kuroo stopped chewing his food. Kaminari?

His mother cast him a wary glance. “Isn’t that the biggest faction of the yakuza?”

“Yes and that’s exactly why they’re the hardest to keep in check.” He stared at his food blankly. “There have been reports that the previous leader has a child, so naturally, the position should go to his own flesh and blood, right?”

“Dear, you know I don’t have an idea how the underground works.”

“Ah, sorry, honey. But we’ve confirmed those reports just recently. The previous leader, Raijin Hayate, has a daughter, so the rights of inheritance of the leadership can’t go to her because she’s a girl.”

Before Kuroo could stop the words from coming, he blurted out, “What’s the name of the girl?”

His father smiled. “Interested, are you? Her name is Raijin (Name), the true heir to the Kaminari faction.

[kainosite]

Les Misérables 2018, Episode 3

Les Mis fandom: Andrew Davies is a scoundrel.  What is he?

Me: ... Scoundwel.

The Good:

• I can’t believe the BBC actually filmed the “Now the people of this town can see you for what you really are” scene of a thousand Valvert fanfics.  They know what the people want.

• The Thénardiers are still fantastic.  Somehow the BBC has achieved the impossible feat of portraying them as loathsome abusers whom you hate with every fiber of your being, while simultaneously making them the fun comic relief you’re sort of rooting for in their capacity as the wacky crime duo.  On Christmas Eve I wanted the Seargeant of Waterloo to burn to the ground with everyone inside it, except for Cosette who was out getting water, Éponine and Azelma who were playing on the swings and Gavroche who was out back playing with Chou Chou or something.  I still grinned when Madame Thénardier cheerily reminded her husband to bring the pistol the next morning.  Striking this balance is a truly impressive achievement that I’ve only seen equalled by the Dallas production of the musical.

Their family dynamics are also coming across very well, sometimes through very subtle touches.  The differential treatment of Éponine and Azelma vs. Cosette and the way the Thénardier girls have been trained by all the adults around them to see Cosette’s abuse as a hilarious game, Gavroche being conscripted to fill Cosette’s role as household drudge once Valjean takes her, Mme. T slipping a bill out of Thénardier’s stash once he goes after Valjean – it’s all really good.

Their reactions to Valjean were good too.  Mme. Thénardier was thoroughly unimpressed with this roughly dressed man she’d decided was a hobo and only reacted with hostility when he was kind to her little whipping girl, but Thénardier as the criminal mastermind of the outfit decided the moment he noticed Valjean paying inordinate attention to Cosette that he must be a pedophile and they’d stumbled upon a lucrative financial opportunity.  I know some people don’t like this change, but honestly it makes a ton of sense.  Valjean’s interest in Cosette is strange, and considering the usual clientele of the inn cheer whenever Mme. T hits the kid with the strap, the Thénardiers aren’t used to seeing other people regard her plight with compassion.  Unlike in the Brick, this Cosette is a very pretty child, something discernible even beneath the dirt.  And it’s Thénardier, so of course he thinks the worst.  Valjean doesn’t volunteer that he’s representing Fantine (perhaps in this universe where he knows Javert is so fixated on him, he’s worried that would make him too easy to trace?), so really, what else is Thénardier meant to think?

• There are some priceless interactions between the protagonists and Thénardier: when he’s trying to haggle and Valjean keeps ignoring him and just repeating “How much?”; Javert’s baffled “Nothing!” when he asks Javert what Javert is planning to do for him.

• Javert and Gavroche’s preliminary encounter over the coffee cup was a nice, subtle touch.

• A+ hair analogy between Fantine last week and Valjean this week.  A+ removal of the godawful ponytail.  That prison barber in Toulon deserves the Légion d'Honneur.

• I’m enjoying Javert’s meteoric rise at the Prefecture and I love Rivette.  “But Kainosite, you love every long-suffering lieutenant.”  Yes, what’s your point?  Javert deserves a long-suffering lieutenant and so do I.  Although it’s hilarious how much Oyelowovert is Fanfic Javert, in his relationship with his subordinates as much as in everything else.

I also enjoyed Javert’s phrenology skull, which I hope he sometimes monologues at Hamlet-style.  A black Javert might hesitate a little before going all-in on phrenology, but I do appreciate his commitment to cutting-edge criminology research.

• LMAO at Javert’s fanart commission.

• Valjean and little Cosette are adorable together, and I really appreciate how much time Davies devoted to just depicting them interacting and letting the relationship breathe.  The strength of their bond is going to be very important later on, especially to Valjean, so it’s worthwhile to establish it now.  And they were suuuuper cute.  This adaptation tends to cut out Hugo’s humor sections, so it was nice to get a bit of relief from the grimness with endearing family time.

• I rather like Cosette calling people “nosy bitches”.  I mean, who socialized this kid?  The Thénardiers, that’s who.  It makes her seem more like a real child and less like a perfect little doll designed to reward first Valjean and then Marius for fulfilling their roles as protagonists.

It’s also an early hint at Valjean and Cosette’s unhealthy isolation and codependency.  The principal tenant is actually fulfilling her duty of care here in a society without any proper system for child safeguarding.  Cosette never seems to leave the apartment, certainly not to attend school or to learn a trade.  There’s no family resemblance between herself and her guardian.  (Incidentally, I’m impressed by how much Mailow Defoy really does look like the child of Lily Collins and Johnny Flynn.  All the matching between the kids and their “parents” has been superb.)  They give inconsistent stories about their relationship.  And Cosette is, as previously mentioned, an exceptionally pretty child.  The principal tenant should be worried - she doesn’t want Hector Hulot taking up residence in her building, and this pair are deeply suspicious.  But they can’t perceive her attention as legitimate concern, just as an unwarranted and unwanted intrusion into their little idyl.

• Similarly, Valjean’s early worries that he’s isolating Cosette too much by denying her all contact with the outside world or other children her own age are a nice piece of foreshadowing, as is her blithe answer that the only friends she needs are Valjean and Catherine.  Of course she’s content: she has food and warmth and security and the undivided attention of a loving adult.  To a child whose previous experience of the world has been so traumatic, their isolation must seem like paradise.  But this isn’t healthy and it isn’t sustainable, and the show is flagging that up early.  In many adaptations Valjean’s Cosette Issues seem to come out of nowhere, so it’s great that they’re laying the groundwork here.

• The whole “For a dark hunt, a silent pack” sequence is very well done.  There’s a nice piece of foreshadowing with the lamplighter hoisting up a candle as Valjean and Cosette are coming into Paris.  (Most of the Parisian lamps are nice flickery ones, although you do occasionally see those peculiar white ones we saw in Montreuil.)

I also appreciate Davies cutting Valjean’s canonical “Be quiet or Mme. Thénardier will catch you and take you back” line to Cosette from the Brick, which was an awful thing to say to a traumatized child.

• Things continue to look right.  The courtroom setup was really quite good.

The Meh:

• After watching the episode twice I think I finally understand what was going on with Javert at the trial.

His plan to entrap Valjean is no less incredibly stupid and risky than it was last week, but at least Javert has finally realized this.  He looks increasingly worried as each convict gives his testimony and identifies Champmathieu because they’re getting closer and closer to the end of the trial and Valjean still hasn’t acted.  Unlike Étienne in the 1952 movie, Oyelowovert has already testified and perjured himself, so he has no failsafe – if Valjean refuses to take the bait then Champmathieu is condemned in his place, the real Valjean is protected from legal pursuit forever, Javert’s perjury has real, long-term, perverse consequences, and Javert needs to find a new career.  The shock we see on his face when Valjean finally confesses is relief and the shock of seeing a scenario he must have played out a hundred times in his dreams becoming a reality before his eyes, or possibly a consequence of him coming in his pants, not shock at the revelation that Madeleine is Valjean.

But there are few members of the audience who are keener observers of Javert’s face than I am.  Most of those people are probably in the Valvert Discord chat, and none of them could figure out this scene on their first viewing either.  We should not have to analyze Javert’s microexpressions to determine the answer to a question as fundamental as “Did Javert sincerely believe Champmathieu was Valjean?”

• On the whole the trial was bad but I did appreciate Brevet just yanking out his suspender to show the court.  Although @prudencepaccard​ is gonna be mad it wasn’t checkered.

• The amount of time it takes Valjean to escape from Toulon is really of no great importance to anything.  Maybe this Javert gave them specific instructions to search him with care so his files kept getting confiscated and it took him longer to file through his chains.  We know the Orion incident never happened in this universe, so maybe it took two years for Valjean to spot a good escape opportunity.  Who knows?  Who cares?  It has zero impact on the plot.

People concerned about the extra time Cosette was left languishing with the Thénardiers should direct their complaints to Brick Valjean, who faffed around in Montreuil for a month while her mother lay on her deathbed constantly asking for her, and only decided to go pick her up once he was under arrest and it would obviously be impossible.  Davies’ sins pale in comparison to Hugo’s in this regard.  At least Westjean tried to send someone to retrieve her.

• ‘Rosalie’?  Okay, fine, but I’m not sure why this adaptation feels compelled to give everyone first and last names.  Thénardier could just call her ‘Darling’.

• I know they also abandon Catherine in the Brick, but in the Brick Valjean doesn’t pause in their flight to pack the candlesticks, the objects that are precious to him, and Cosette doesn’t specifically ask about bringing her.  Put the pillow under the blankets to fake out Javert like a normal person and let your child keep the one toy she’s ever had, what the fuck is wrong with you, Valjean?

On the other hand, the doll is made of dead people and it may be possessed, so perhaps this was just responsible parenting.  I’m calling it a draw.

• It’s not that I have any great objections to giving Simplice more screen time or letting the Mother Superior of the Petit-Picpus convent decide to shelter a convict, but there was no particular reason not to use Fauchelevent for the Fauchelevent plotline.  It’s a small instance of a good deed being paid forward that underlines the main theme of the book, as does Simplice’s act of self-sacrifice in lying to Javert to protect Valjean.  All of that has been lost and nothing has been gained in its place.  (Also is Cosette just... “Cosette Valjean” in this adaptation?  “Cosette Thibault”?)

The Bad:

• If Javert perjures himself to trap Valjean that is an incredibly big deal and we should see it.  I accept that this Javert might do it: Oyelowovert cares about his career and about ruining the lives of criminals, not about the rules.  If he can trap Valjean, superb.  If Champmathieu ends up in the galleys because of it, well, he’s a filthy apple thief and he deserves it.  Javert is subverting the course of justice in the service of a greater social justice.  But this monumental deviation from his Brick characterization, this enormously consequential lie, should not occur off-camera, for fuck’s sake!

Also it’s not clear what reason a Javert who is happy to lie under oath would ever have to throw himself into the Seine.

• Why the hell was Valjean so hostile to the other convicts?  He assumes they’ve been paid off, but... by whom, and to what purpose?  By Javert, to entrap him?  We the viewers at least know that can’t be true – Javert only found out about Champmathieu from the Prefecture, after Champmathieu had already been identified as Valjean.  By the public prosecutor at Arras, who is desperate to close the case of a minor highway robbery that happened almost a decade ago on the other side of the country completely outside his jurisdiction?  By the many enemies of Champmathieu the random hobo, who really want to see him go down for a felony?  It makes absolutely no sense.

Possibilities that make more sense: a) the convicts are sincerely mistaken about the appearance of a guy they’ve not seen in eight years, b) they just wanted to get out of Toulon for a month and they’re willing to say anything to do it because Toulon is a hellhole, as the first episode made exceedingly clear, c) they know perfectly well Champmathieu is not Valjean and they’re lying to protect the liberty of their old comrade by condemning a stranger in his place.  The whole dynamic of this scene – Madeleine, the respected mayor and factory owner, who’s been clean and well-fed and safe for years, yelling at these filthy men in their convict uniforms, Chenildieu with some kind of open wound across his forehead, quite possibly a lash mark – is deeply unpleasant.  It makes Valjean look like a complete asshole and sets a sour tone for the whole episode.

• The entire trial is just off.  Valjean’s off-putting and inexplicable hostility to his fellow convicts, Javert’s mystifying facial expressions, the audience who keep laughing at unfunny lines – the scene just doesn’t work, it doesn’t come together.  It was at something of a disadvantage because I came into it having just watched the 1952 trial scene for the previous episode’s review post, which is the best ever adaptation of the Champmathieu trial, and any other version was likely to pale by comparison.  But this one was particularly poor.

• I said last week we’d have to see what the series made of Valjean’s externalization of his emotions.  Well, what it has made is an awful lot of shouting at everyone, starting with the poor convicts and continuing from there, and also an excess of violence.  Valjean charges into the soldiers in Montreuil-sur-Mer and bowls them over, he threatens to knock Thénardier down and then to blow his head off, he gets Thénardier into a headlock and grapples with him.  Even when Westjean is coming into the convent he has to practically break down the doors.  Everything is violent action with him.  It’s OOC to the point where it’s becoming a problem rather than merely a different interpretation of the character.

All this aggression isn’t even effective at making him seem dangerous!  The thing he does in 1978 where he gently removes Javert’s hand from his collar is vastly more intimidating because it showcases his superhuman strength.  He should have just plucked the gun out of Thénardier’s hand like he was taking it away from a child instead of all this undignified scuffling.

• Tumblr, a humble reviewer has failed in accuracy, and I have come to bring this matter to your attention, as is my duty.

I argued last week that Westjean is not a misogynist: he yells at everyone in his vicinity regardless of gender.  Well, you were right and I was wrong.  That menacing lunge he takes towards Victurnien while screaming at her, calling Mme. Thénardier “woman” and shouting at her to bring his supper, the way he bursts in on the nuns at the end – it all adds up to something pretty unpleasant.

• I have never in my life seen an adaptation that makes Fantine’s death so much about Jean Valjean’s manpain.

If you look a 1978, an adaptation that gives if possible negative fucks about Fantine, it still manages to make the confrontation over her deathbed a conversation between three people, in which she has agency and reacts to what people are saying and is present in some capacity other than that of an object to make Valjean sad.  Someone compared Collinstine to a substitute Coin of Shame, and I think that’s really apt: Valjean is distressed and guilty because he’s failed to rescue Cosette, so he goes to Fantine’s bedside to sear the image of her despairing face onto his retinas in the same way he seared the imprint of Petit Gervais’s forty sous onto his palm.  He’s punishing himself by deliberately upsetting her.  For both Valjean and the camera, this scene is all about Valjean’s feelings and not about Fantine’s.

The person in this room with the biggest problems is not Jean Valjean, for pity’s sake.  I like to see the man cry as much as the next fangirl, but this was vile.

• Valjean’s visit to Fantine on her deathbed is a stupid, irresponsible thing to do and a direct cause of her unhappy death in the Brick and in every adaptation where she survives long enough for Javert to turn up. Valjean knows he has no good news to give her, he knows that the criminal justice system will be after him sooner or later, he knows that having Fantine and Javert together in the same room is a phenomenally bad idea, and he has urgent business in Montfermeil, or if he’s resolved to stay in Montreuil-sur-Mer to await arrest then he urgently needs to designate some representative to go and pick up Cosette in his place.  Instead he loiters by a sick woman’s bedside until Javert shows up and predictably traumatizes her to death.  As a result, Fantine dies in misery and Cosette suffers under the Thénardiers for another year.

But in the Brick it was at least not an insane thing to do.  When he left Arras he was not being pursued, and he reached Montreuil well ahead of the news about the trial.  The magistrates in Arras were in two minds about how to handle the situation.  Given Madeleine’s status, the widespread affection and admiration for him in the region, and the fact that he turned himself in, it’s not inconceivable that had it not been for his little Bonapartist slip in the courtroom, they wouldn’t have issued a warrant for his arrest at all and would simply have sent him a summons to appear at the Var Assizes to stand trial, or directed him to surrender himself at the prison in Montreuil rather than sending Javert after him.  I’m not sure it’s likely, given that he’s a known flight risk and parole violator illegally occupying a public office and they seem keen to get their hands on his fortune, but it’s not inconceivable.

In this adaptation Valjean breaks away from the police in the street and leads them straight to Fantine’s deathbed.  There is no fucking excuse for this.  NONE.  Brick Valjean was a fool to come at all and a bigger fool to stage a massive confrontation with Javert while he was still in the infirmary, but his mistakes were those of a man under immense stress who never bothered to think about Javert long enough to construct a working psychological profile of him.  Westjean’s mistakes were the mistakes of a selfish asshole too caught up in his own feelings of guilt and shame to have any regard for the people he allegedly cares about and wants to help.  Valjean is an extreme deontologist and his actions are always self-absorbed to a certain degree, because they’re fundamentally more about whether he can feel he’s done the right thing than about the actual effects of his actions on other people.  (He and Brickvert have that in common.)  But it should never get to the point where he’s actively harming people to this extent.

• Brickvert doesn’t seem to care for firearms much, and Oyelowovert looks like a jackass waving his two giant pistols around, but he’s a different character and if he’s decided they make him look cool then fine, I guess.  But in that case he should not be intimidated by Valjean’s strength in the infirmary.  You have guns, idiot!  If he threatens you just shoot him in the leg!

Guns completely change the dynamics of this scene, as the Dallas staging of the musical conveys very well.  The BBC handed Javert some pistols and then forgot he had them.

• In 1862 people would probably have found the implication that Catherine has Fantine’s hair to be sweet and charming, because the Victorians loved toting bits of their dead relatives around and hair mementos were so common that no one would have considered it weird.  In 2019 it is CREEPY AND GROSS.  I know there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism but we did not need to know that Cosette’s doll was made from the body parts of desperately impoverished and now dead women, really.

• Oh, so we’re flipping over beds when we fail to catch our favorite fugitive convict now, are we?  Great, now everyone is yelling.  FFS, Javert, I thought you were supposed to be the emotionally continent one.

• Where was Marius this week???  If Davies was happy to cut that leg of the stool out of whole episodes then why the fuck not just let Georges die when he’s supposed to and let Marius have a coherent character arc?  It makes no sense whatsoever.

I’ve got to be honest, I was not a fan of this episode.  But it did get Valjean and Cosette’s relationship right, and that is the most important relationship in the story.